Daybreak Academy
by Painted With a Palette
Summary: In a universe where travelling to worlds is common, there's a school where young and up and coming wielders go to hone their skills in hopes of becoming Keyblade Masters, Daybreak Academy. But with all these clashing egos and personalities, the prospect of getting along to fight a greater evil is a bit of a challenge. And Kairi Moroboshi is in the middle of it all.
1. The Alien From Inner Space

**The Alien From Inner Space**

Kairi is an alien.

But she doesn't have green skin, bug eyes, or unconventional technology. She doesn't come from an extraterrestrial race of an evolved species or look to take over the world. She isn't bent on crop circles, and she sure has hell hasn't paraded around town in the dark shadow of a fedora and trench coat.

Simply put, Kairi is just weird. But that won't stop her from having a nice time with the only friends she has.

"Hey, Alice, could you please pass the tea?" she asks. Her bright blue eyes twinkle with innocence.

"Why, yes, Kairi," Alice responds. A radiant smile graces her lips as she hands over a sparkly silver kettle. Kairi nods appreciatively.

"Thank you!" She pours fresh oolong into her teacup, from which a gentle fragrance wafts through the air like the smog of a fireplace. She sits at a small, white round table surrounded by the only friends she can confide in. They're the type of supportive companions she can tell the most private of secrets. "Belle, would you like some more?"

Belle is too busy with her nose stuck in a book to pay attention. With a playful roll of her eyes, Cinderella snaps her fingers in front of Belle's face. She wakes up and offers an apologetic grin. "O-Oh! Uh, what were you saying, Kairi?"

"Oh, Belle," Snow White says with a giggle. "Now I know you're fond of a good read, but must you bring that book to the table when we're supposed to be having a friendly get-together?" she scolds playfully.

"Aw, I'm sorry, girls," Belle apologizes. "I was just reading the most wonderful story. It's about an ex-pirate who found true love after he met a scullery maid from the glen!"

"We know. You've only read that book about a thousand times now," Jasmine teases.

"But isn't it so romantic?" Belle hugs the book tight to her chest as she falls into a whimsical daydream. "Oh, I just love it! Adventure, magic, and excitement! Something _more_ than the dullsville from where I come from. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh, most certainly," Alice chimes. "Why, I would never have fell down the rabbit hole, if not for such a boring tales of the real world."

"Yeah," Kairi agrees. "You guys all know I'm itching to get out of here and finally make some friends, too."

"Oh, but Kairi," says Cinderella. "You know you'll always have us."

A soft, but sad smile traces her lips. "Yeah. I know, Cindy."

The other princesses pick up the distress in her voice and share looks of communal concern.

"What's on your mind, dear?" Aurora asks. "Now, you know that you don't have to hide anything from us."

"That's right!" Snow White says. "Oh, please don't be sad. Why, we could scent any heartache of yours from a mile away."

"Kairi, we're here for you," says Jasmine. "We're here to listen whenever you need us to."

Kairi sighs. "It's just—I feel so... isolated, from everybody else. It's hard to relate to people my age, and I'm just afraid of the way they'd treat me if... if they ever got to know the real me."

"Why would you believe such a tall tale like that?" Alice asks, sipping from her teacup.

Kairi leans against her fist, using her middle finger to brush around the rim of her teacup. "I just don't see the world the same way a lot of other people do. It's like, people these days are full of so much hatred nowadays, so much bitterness and... and... I just want to live in a world full of people who embrace love, peace, and generosity. You know, like you guys do. You're the only ones... who truly ever saw things the same way as I do. Just like me, you believe that we should learn to love each other. I guess nobody else will ever understand me..."

"Oh, but Kairi," Belle says, resting a gentle hand on Kairi's. "Don't say that. We understand you, completely."

Kairi looks into Belle's eyes; they shine with concern and sympathy, as well as the rest of her friends. "Yes, but... the thing is..."

Kairi sighs and closes her eyes. When she opens them, she's alone at the table with six other untouched saucers and empty teacups.

"...none of you are real," Kairi finishes. She plops to the table where she stuffs her face into her arms, letting out a strong exhale.

She's been lonely for way too long.

"Kairi!" her mother calls from downstairs. "Doctor Moreau is here! Make sure not to keep him waiting for too long! And bring down your dishes, please!"

"Coming, Mommy!" With her head hung low, Kairi gathers up her saucers and the teacups. But with too many in her possession, she ends up stepping on one of her old plushies left lying around and slips, tumbling to the pink carpet below.

"Whoa!"

Kairi hits the floor and luckily avoids getting hit by any of the incoming saucers and teacups. Though, she ends up slightly chipping the rim of one of the teacups.

"Aw, man..."

Picking up any dignity she has left, Kairi hurries downstairs to find and hands her mother the dishes. In the living room waits her patient therapist, sitting comfortably on the sofa. With a professional but casual smile, he gestures her to take a seat across from him, with only the glass coffee table separating the sofa and the couch.

Kairi returns a shy smile and takes a seat on the couch, and soon her mother joins her, rubbing her daughter's back comfortingly.

Albert Moreau, a rotund man with a thin mustache whose cheeks seem rather bloated, happens to be her therapist after her mother called concerned for her daughter's emotional well-being.

Kairi twiddles her thumbs.

"No need to be so nervous, child." Albert gives her a charming smile. "I am only here to be of assistance, mademoiselle."

Kairi avoids eye contact. "I-I know, but..."

Her mother looks at her daughter with her bright aquamarine eyes, serving her genuine duty as a parent to be concerned. She tucks some of her own auburn hair behind her ear and holds her daughter's shoulders comfortingly. "She's just really, really shy when it comes to meeting new people, Doctor. And since this is only her second session with you," she chuckles nervously. "Well... you know."

"I understand wholeheartedly, señora. But unfortunately, no progress will be made if you are... em, imposing on her progression."

"Imposing?" She raises an eyebrow.

"I allowed it last time, but I would rather Kairi and I have a talk in private this time, if you don't mind."

Her mother sighs, offering Kairi an apologetic look. She nods to Moreau. "Sure." She kisses Kairi on the forehead before she makes her way upstairs, albeit a bit hesitantly.

With no one to hold her hand anymore, Kairi locks up tight, folding her hands into the crease of her thighs and hiking her shoulders up.

"Please, señorita, you are in safe hands. You don't need to be so tense."

"O-Okay." She relaxes her shoulders slightly.

Albert clears his throat. "Well, I suppose we could begin with a bit of a self-analysis. In one word, how would you describe your life at the moment?"

"L-Lonely."

He gives her a sympathetic glance. "Lonely," he repeats. "And why is this?"

"Well, I don't think I'll exactly be g-getting invited to any parties any time soon. Not that I care so much about parties but... the point is, I don't really have any friends."

"I see." Albert rubs his chin. "Why is that?"

"I dunno... I guess, I-I just feel like an alien when I'm around other people. Not even just people my age, but even adults."

"Has it always been difficult for you to make friends?"

"Kinda. When I was a kid, I didn't relate to most of the other kids. They all thought I was weird, because instead of playing tag or climbing on the monkey bars with them, I preferred to use my imagination. I'm sure they all thought I was insane, at the time." Kairi shifts her shoulders. "But there was a point when I did make some friends when I was in elementary school—a nice amount of them actually."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Seemed l-like they were the only ones who truly understood and accepted me for who I am. I could never forget their names, all six of them—Snow, Jasmine, Alice, Aurora, Cinderella, and Belle." She allows a nostalgic smile take over. "I miss them so much. Sometimes, when I'm feeling especially down, I pretend that they're all still with me, just so that I can have someone— _something_ to talk to."

"Whatever happened to these friends you speak of?"

Kairi shakes her head. "When Radiant Garden went under that crisis with the realm of darkness, you know, when the Heartless got out of control, many parents took their children and left this place since it seemed to be especially strong here. It's a miracle my family survived, but with my friends, they all went back to their home worlds just in case. And I don't blame them. After they left, I didn't have anyone to talk to anymore."

Albert clasps his hands together. "You seem nervous."

Kairi nods, almost robotically.

"Shy?" he asks, somewhat rhetorically.

"V-Very..."

"Have you always been this way?"

"N-Not always. Took a few years for it to settle after my friends left Radiant Garden. I became so isolated, so alone that... that out of nowhere, I found myself unable to talk to normal people."

"What do you mean by that, exactly?"

"I just don't know what to say to them. Not sure if my input means anything to anyone."

"Well, it almost sounds to me that you're afraid to open up to people in fear that they won't accept you."

She frowns. "Gee, I wonder why. I only spent the majority of my childhood getting bullied for being weird." She emotes a look of shame and regretfully casts her eyes aside. "S-Sorry... that was rude of me."

Albert doesn't seem bothered. He looks to be too wrapped up in his own thoughts to detect any rudeness in her sarcasm. "Hm? Oh, it's quite alright, madam." He twirls his curly goatee, muster over the mystery of how a girl who used to be so upbeat could turn into what she is now. "I completely understand with how you're feeling, mademoiselle. I've had my fair share of isolation in the past, as well. But sometimes as children, we magnetize ideas of what we believe 'bullying' is, when really you were probably only picked on by your fellow peers. You should consider that, or else the pain can only intensify."

"How do you be able to tell the difference?"

"Well, were you ever physically assaulted by these children?"

"Well... no, not really. Sometimes they'd intentionally kick mud or dirt on my face and pretend it was an accident, o-or with food, or drinks. But it was kinda rare... and I don't think they ever really touched me, like, with their fists and stuff. They mostly called me names."

Albert chuckles. "Oh, well I understand, their words may have affected you in a rather negatively. But was it really bad enough for your mother to pull you out of public school and let you take online Keyblade courses? It seems that would only isolate you even further."

"Well, there was one incident that was so bad that it was the reason why my mommy pulled me out of public school..."

"Oh, is that so? And what might that be?"

Kairi remains mute for a brief moment. "I don't wanna talk about it..."

Albert pouts. "I see. Well, that's fine. Although, I recommend you get it off your chest soon. But from what I've heard, it was only teasing at its finest. Not to excuse their actions, but people go through that all the time. It's quite normal. You don't need to blame yourself for that. You will always be alone if you close yourself off and don't open up."

Kairi shakes her head, almost looking like she's on the verge of tears. "It's not just about being lonely... it's about being different."

Albert adapts a curious position. "Explain."

"Even if I do open up, who's to say they'll accept me? Who's to say anyone will accept me for who I am? Those six other girls I was friends with—they were different, just like me. They understood where I came from and felt the same way." She sniffs, wiping a tear away.

"Why do you care so much about their acceptance?"

"I-I don't, I just... I just want someone to understand me."

"You don't seem so eccentric to me, mademoiselle. I don't understand why you would be so afraid to let others in." He hands her a tissue from the box sitting on the glass table.

She thanks him as she takes the tissue. "W-Well, maybe you just haven't seen the real me yet." She blows into her nose. "I don't think it would be very appropriate, anyway..."

Albert gives her a moment to maintain her composure before continuing. "What makes you think you're so different from everybody else?"

"Everybody else is so mean!" she cries. "I-I mean, most people. We're always taught by society that people are mean, nasty, and cruel to each other—and that it's natural. That it's 'just the way it is' and we can't do anything about it. But I say they're wrong! Hateful people aren't born with hatred in their heart, they're taught to hate! To be selfish! To lack empathy! And I hate it so much! I hate being around people who only know hatred and negativity!"

Albert mulls over her words and it all begins to make sense. "I see..." Perhaps, being picked on during childhood rendered her fearful of the real world. She perceives all unlike her as those who are hateful and selfish, with a rather justified reason. After all, she didn't exactly get the best first impression of kids her age.

"I understand your pain, and I really feel for you. But Kairi, have you ever considered that perhaps people may not be as bad as you may think? Please, disclose your childhood afflictions and—"

"B-But they are!" she interrupts. "I can see it... I can see it in their eyes, and I know that people today just aren't right. Have you been on the internet?" She rubs her shoulders. "I-I-It's a scary thought when your next door neighborhood can smile you in the face by day a-a-and be a member of the KKK by night. Some of the nicest-looking people, h-have some of the darkest hearts... even if they don't realize it! It goes way beyond what happened to me when I was a kid! It's the way people have been taught to t-think a-and how to act!"

"Kairi, please—"

"The greatest feat the devil ever accomplished is making people believe he doesn't exist," she states. "Once he's done that, how easy it must be to manipulate the masses. Everything good has become the new bad, and now bad is the new good. Leaving people blind to see past their own indulgences... how much wrong is still in the world! Even with the realm of darkness shut tight, a darkness still lingers...

"I-I believe in conspiracy theories and secret societies who manipulate us using our entertainment to brainwash us and to teach us horrible lesson, b-but if I say something like that, I'm crazy! You see what I mean? They've convinced people that they don't exist! And now, if I speak my mind, I'm attacked and called such evil, horrid names! Over the internet! By people who don't even know me! Not knowing they're falling right into the trap! There's something not right here—no, not right!" She grabs her head in agony. "I-I can't take it anymore! I-I-I can't stand living in this world anymore!"

Kairi buries her face into her hands and lets it all out—the suppressed tears, the depression that's been inside her for years, the unhappiness, and the insecurities all washed out.

"When I go... this problem world won't bother me anymore..." Kairi stutters through her tears.

Albert doesn't say a word. He believes that crying, specifically in front of somebody else, is the cure to relieving depression. Crying alone won't help anyone. He occasionally says, "It's alright, let it all out," to comfort her.

After a good ten minutes, Kairi sniffs and wipes the tears away. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

He does think the idea of secret societies and her viewpoint on how bad the world is may be a tad far-fetched. But he understands where her reasoning may have come from. Perhaps, she's just a little misguided. "No, not at all."

"I just—I just wanna make the world a better place, that's all. Maybe... maybe make people see that we've been living the wrong way for a long time now. Just, shed some light on what's wrong with us. I understand that it's hard for some people... to be told that everything they know and have been taught since we were born has been a lie, but I want to give it a shot."

"Are you sure you have the answers?"

Without hesitation, Kairi nods. "Yes."

She seems borderline arrogant. Albert thinks it's about time Kairi get out of the bird's nest for a while. "I think I have a solution." He folds his leg over the other. "I think your isolation has caused you to become..." How should he put this lightly? "Perhaps, a bit delusional—"

"I'm not delusional!" she snaps, shooting to her feet. "I-I knew it! You do think I'm crazy!"

Instead of causing more of a panic, Albert calmly gestures her to sit back down. "That was not my intention, madam. Please, forgive me for my unintentional rudeness. What I mean is that, while you could very well be correct, I want you to take some time to think about what it is you're saying. Just think about it on a more rational level."

With a bitter glare, Kairi gradually sits back down.

"You've been an outcast for far too long, señorita. It's time you interact with the real world. I believe that it is time for you to open up, learn to have some confidence, and make new friends. Then, perhaps you'll see, the world... or should I say, the people of this universe that we live, aren't really that bad. True, we have our own flaws and we've made some mistakes along the way. We are far from perfect, mademoiselle."

Kairi clutches her fists. "That's the kind of stuff they teach us in society. That's exactly what I'm talking about. That we're not that bad. We are terrible. And they don't teach us to fix all of the things that are wrong with us, and only accept how messed up we all are. And someday... someday, I'm gonna prove it to all of you. I'll show all of you..."

Albert remains unfazed. "Or perhaps, it could all be in your head? Don't discount any of the possibilities."

"I could say the same to you."

Albert clears his throat. "Yes, well, I have confidence that you will find the answers you seek, and when you do, you can tell me all about it. Until then, I think that since you're going to be a freshman after this summer, it's time for you to, how should you say, spread the wings." He locates a sheet of paper in his files and hands it over to her.

With a raised eyebrow, Kairi skims over the letter. "W-What's this?"

"Daybreak Academy," he answers. "It's a private high school for grades nine through twelve for upcoming Keyblade wielders such as yourself to go and sharpen their skills, before graduating into becoming a true Master. It is a boarding school, so you will have to move away from home, but I think some time away from would do you good. If you want to make the realm of light a better place, you can start here."

"Daybreak Academy... p-private school?"

"I know it may seem a bit uncomfortable at first, but please consider. I think this opportunity will really allow you to meet new people and come out of your shell. It could cure you of your social anxiety, even. Perhaps, you could find some new friends that understand you, much like the ones who you lost back in elementary school."

Her? Make friends? Kairi almost laughs. Wouldn't that be the dream? "Friends..."

"Maybe it will give you more insight to judge on how well you believe our society has been corrupted, yes?"

A few months ago, Kairi probably would have declined the offer right there on the spot. But to her own surprise, she actually considers it. She is rather tired of being alone. The thought of finally being able to learn about friendship is a pretty big selling point. "What would I have to do?"

"Luckily, it's only the beginning of summer vacation, so you have plenty of time to fill out an application and schedule an audition with the Headmaster and his most trusted advisors. And really, would you want to miss out on the high school experience by continuing to take your studies online?"

"I guess not... but, I-I think I'll need a little time to think about it."

"Two and a half months will fly by, so you haven't much time to consider. But I do encourage you to give it a shot." He pauses when the alarm clock on his watch beeps. "Wow, time really does fly. I suppose we'll have to cut this session for now." He gathers his items.

"O-Oh, yeah..."

"However, I do believe we've made some real progress here today, señorita. Maybe this school will be the key to you finding happiness." He sends her a warm smile, and Kairi weakly returns the effort. "If you'll excuse me, I'll report to your mother."

Once he's out of earshot, Kairi leans back into her couch and lets out a big sigh of relief. It was good to finally let all of that out. Kairi feels like she's held that in for a while now. She's kept her true feelings to herself for so long. But as she suspected, Albert probably thinks she's a little loose in the head. She's not too surprised.

Daybreak Academy.

She looks at the sheet of paper once again and contemplates her decision. She and Albert do agree on one thing—this could help build her confidence. Maybe she can find some real friends. Maybe she will find someone, anybody, who understands her and accepts her for who she is and what she believes in. Just one person. That'll be good enough.

Besides, she's quite sick of being so shy that she can't even order a freaking pizza because she's too shy to speak to someone over the phone. She can admit her own flaws, and she knows her social anxiety is her weakest link.

She's been in her room for so long, she barely remembers what it's like to be in the outside world. But that isolation gave her room to think, and question the way people live their lives and why they act the way that they do. She wasn't supposed to have friends or else she might have been influenced; she may have never removed the veil from her sight and finally see the truth. Being alone has taught her more than what anybody else could have.

She can feel it. Now is the time to set herself free. It's time to go out into the real world and see if her presumptions about society is true or if she really is crazy.

It could all be in her head. It could be her paranoia kicking in, making her rationalize idiosyncratic ideas. She might as well give it a shot. She's got nothing to lose, right? She must seek answers. What if she really is just thinking too much about it and letting it all go to her head?

Only one way to find out.

"I'll do it."

* * *

 **Sorry to all of the people who are already following the story, this isn't exactly an update but yet it KINDA is? This is the new first chapter, since unlike the one I originally have, it doesn't introduce a conflict from the start, so I figured this might be better to start the story off. I'll see how the story does after this to determine whether or not I want to keep it.**

 **Anybody catch that reference from The Unusual Suspects? Keep that line in mind!**

 **Much love and thanks to the bae BlissfulNightRain for looking this over! She's the best! Head over to her profile and check out her stuff, guys! She's amazing!**

 **Please, if you could be so kind as to leave a review, that would mean a lot to me! I really do put a lot of thought and effort into these! Even some constructive criticism would be helpful!**


	2. The Prodigal Son

**The Prodigal Son**

"Come on, baby! Let's do the twist! Come on, baaaaBAAAY! Let's do the twist! Take me by my little hand... wait for it... and go like this!"

Scary, huh? That's what happens when you've become prisoner to your own company for the past fourteen years of your entire life. Despite her shyness, Kairi is a professional geek, specializing in eccentricity, and deprived of social interaction for the better half of her childhood, who would currently be embarrassing herself if she were accompanied by spectators.

She dances in front of her bathroom mirror in nothing but a lavender bra and pajama shorts singing crudely into a hairbrush, whipping her damp auburn hair around like a demon possessed fan at a metal concert.

Music blasts from her phone on the window sill as she sways her hips to it in her usual uncoordinated fashion, making lame gestures and winks to herself in her own reflection.

Welcome to her world.

"My daddy is sleepin'! Woo! And mama ain't around! Yeah, daddy's just sleepIIIINN', and mama ain't ar—"

"KAIRI!" yells her mother from the other side of the door. "Will you stop goofing around? You're already going to be late for your flight! And you're making _me_ late for work!"

And as usual, Kairi lost track of time. Only twenty minutes into her morning and she's already getting yelled at for not being able to hold a sufficient attention span on what's important for more than two seconds. That's a new record for her.

"O-Oh, yeah! Sorry, Mom!" Kairi yells back. She reaches for her phone over by the window sill, but with the bathroom floor still wet from a recent shower, she slips and fiddles with the device for a moment before toppling backwards into the bathtub.

Kairi watches with her face struck with horror as her jewel-embezzled phone plummets to its untimely death towards the toilet below, almost as if it were in slow motion with a depressing violin humming in the background.

She reaches out for it in despair. "NOOOO!"

Too late. With an anticlimactic splash, her phone is drenched—in the toilet, of all places. Kairi staggers out of the tub and picks up her damaged smartphone, as if careful not to hurt the poor baby any further. She mourns with pitiful whimpers and moaning. She just got this thing last week after at long last convincing her stubborn mother that she was ready for an upgrade.

"Kairi, if you're not out of that bathroom in six point twenty-seven milliseconds—"

"Eep!" Kairi drops her phone instantly. "Coming!"

She throws on a black tank top and overlaps it with a white one, a pair of purple biker shorts underneath a purple skirt, and slips into some big, white shoes, albeit struggling a bit with the latter as she trips over herself while hopping on one foot, trying to get one shoe on the other.

Kairi brushes a few locks of her shortcut red hair, smiling briefly before exhaling. Today is the day. After years of being a homeschooled loner with no friends, she plans to put the past behind her.

Finally, a chance to go to public school and make friends! Kairi swears she was going crazy being cooped up inside this house all day, every day. But she doesn't have to worry about that now. Daybreak Academy is one of the most refined Keyblade institutions in all of the worlds. She is not about to spend her freshman year of high school with her parents, no offense to them.

She swipes her phone from the floor and opens the door to meet the daunting glare of her impatient mother with her suitcase in hand.

"AGH!" Kairi staggers back, nearly stumbling back into that damn toilet before regaining her balance at the very last moment. Damn that toilet to hell. She wipes the sweat off her forehead and closes the toilet for good measure. Kairi is sick of the word toilet...

Her mother snatches her by the hand and drags her out of the bathroom. "Come on, missy! We don't have time for this. It's bad enough that I'm sending my baby off to a boarding school, but we can't have you _late_ on the first day, either! And look at the time! I'm already about to be late for work and as fate would have it, the car's broke down and now you decide to have a dance party in the bathroom?"

"Sorry, I kinda got—"

"Distracted? I know. I heard your incessant singing all the way from the bedroom. You nearly woke your father and you know he needs as much rest as he can get before his business trip."

"Shoe-in for a Grammy though, right?" Kairi jokes. The look her mother gives her lets the freshman know that now isn't exactly the best time for terrible attempts at humor. "Er, sorry."

"Here, I fixed you up some toast since you're gonna have to skip breakfast this morning. You have everything you need packed, right?" Mother asks, handing over Kairi's luggage. "Pajamas? Conditioner? Underwear?"

"Mommy..."

"I-I'm sorry, sweetie. I just worry about you. You know how clumsy you can be sometimes and I just want to make sure everything is under control. I know the doctor recommended this, but—I don't know—I mean, public school is a big step for you."

"Don't worry, Mom! I've got this. I've been doing online classes for the past six years. I think it's time I break free from the nest a little bit. Don't you think?"

Her mother exhales. "Fine, fine. You and your therapist already made your case, no need to rub it in." She kneels down slightly and gives her daughter a hug. "I'm gonna miss you so much... and so will your father, he's just a little tired."

"I know, I know." Kairi smiles. "I'm gonna miss you guys, too. It'll be weird not having you getting on me to eat my veggies for a while."

"Oh, that reminds me, make sure you eat those veggies!"

"Sure thing."

"And look both ways before you cross any street, okay? Like, triple check. No, quadruple check! I don't need any calls about my daughter getting ran over by trucks."

"I'm fine, Mommy."

Mother checks her watch. "I wish I could drive you to the gummi station but I really can't afford to be late for work. You better call me as soon as you land in Daybreak Town."

Kairi rubs the back of her head.

Her mother sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. She can just tell by the look on her daughter's face that something is wrong. "Oh, damn it. What did you do now?"

"I-I—uh—" She deems her stuttered explanation pointless and simply shows her mother the phone. "I, uh, dropped it in the toilet by accident."

Mother smacks her forehead, not that she's all that surprised. "How did you convince me that you're ready for public high school again?"

Kairi smiles sheepishly. "Hey, it's what my therapist recommended, right?"

"Fine. You're just going to have to use the backup phone."

Oh no, not the _backup_ phone. Does she mean the old flip phone that not even her grandmother would be caught dead with?

"I thought you deactivated that thing," Kairi deadpans.

"You can never be too sure! It's Mom: 101. Knowing you, I kept it up just in case you messed up again. Now go, go! You're already making me late for work! You have about fifteen minutes before your flight takes off!"

"Fifteen minutes?!"

Kairi scrambles upstairs, clumsily bumping into the walls a few times before she stumbles into her room and rummages through her drawers in search of her pathetic old flip phone with the cracked screen.

"Ah, there it is!"

Eww. Just holding it makes her nauseous. She stuffs it into her pocket and hurries back downstairs, gives Mother a quick kiss on the cheek followed with a "'Kay, love you, Mommy! Bye!", and sprints out of her house with her toast dangling out of her mouth.

"Kairi, you forgot your bag!"

"Oh yeah!" Kairi muffles. She halts before turning back around and snatching her rolling bag, and as quick as lightning, she takes off yet again.

Mother waves as her daughter scurries down the street, not looking where she's going and bumps into the person in front of her with a quick apology. Kairi's mom sighs.

"She's doomed."

Kairi pulls out her flip phone to check the time. It's 7:52 AM, but the flight leaves at 8:05 AM. The worst part about it is that the gummi station is a good twenty minutes away at walking speed. Maybe it's hopeless.

That is, until she spots a pickup truck passing by that just so happens to be going into that particular direction of the gummi station.

No, no, no. That'd be crazy, she couldn't just—

Holy shit, it's 7:56! What just happened?!

Kairi takes a brief moment to muster up some courage, although she really does not have the time for that right now, and removes the toast from her mouth before hoisting up her baggage. She runs towards the moving truck with all her leg power blistering through her thighs.

"U-Uh, hey! Wait up! P-Please, sir!"

The driver seems to be in his own world; it's hard to tell with his too-cool-for-school shades and earphones. Nonetheless, the driver does spot Kairi in his rearview mirror and decides to intentionally be a jerk and speed off into the distance, leaving Kairi coughing in his exhaust.

"Tool," Kairi mutters bitterly under her breath. Before she can rant away, a bird swoops down and snatches her crispy toast with its beak. "Hey!"

She bounces around hopelessly in an effort to grab ahold of that little bastard and strangle it to death, but gravity is cruel, and it's already long gone. Could there possibly be a better way to start off the day?

She checks the time on her phone. It's only 7:57? Really? So, time officially makes no sense. But that's still only about seven minutes before the next flight to Daybreak Town.

What to do? What to do?

Her sight settles on multiple bikes parked out in front of a floral shop. Kairi's conscience bats her against the head, protesting against all of the naughty ideas swimming around in her head (get those dirty thoughts out of your mind right now), but the 7:58 on her phone only helps further escalate the temptation to give in to her inner badass. That is, if you are one of three people in the world who considers stealing a stranger's bike badass.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. There's no way she can get to the gummi station on time by foot at this point. She tries convincing herself that it's only for a good cause—it's not like she's taking just to take or anything.

But it's just so— _wrong._ Maybe it'd be best to follow her conscience and just try her best to make it to the station on time if she runs fast enough.

Wait, it's 8:01?!Oh, screw that!

Kairi makes a beeline for the green bicycle, takes a moment to ask God to repent for her sins, writes a super quick note out telling the owner to come pick their bike up from the Moogle station by the marketplace, and proceeds to stea—or, uh, excuse her, borrow the bike from the rack.

She rides out into the road peddling as if her life is on the line. Heck, the argument can be made that it is. If she's late to school after being an inconsiderate klutz, her mother might just kill her—and then continue to mend her wounds with love and affection.

The owner of the green bike exits the floral shop with a pot of daffodils and sets it on the sidewalk. He dusts his hands free of soil and notices his bike missing, with only a tiny note left in its place.

" _so so so sorry about this! please come down to the station if you want this bike back. I.O.U."_

Kairi speeds past any cars or trucks obstructing her path, causing many to roar their honkers at the brat that nearly gave them a heart attack or got them in an accident.

"Sorry! Ohmigosh, sorry! I-I-I'm just in a hurry! Sorry!" She finds herself repeating this approximately every three seconds. But she can't slow down now.

"Go, go, go," she whispers to herself.

And at long last, there it is—the Moogle station. Like a glorious haven in the short distance. She runs the bike inside and tells one of the receptionists to give it to anyone who comes in here looking for it as she rushes off before having to answer time-consuming questions. Kairi knows it's a dumb idea, but what other choice does she have?

The lobby is bustling with herds and high energy, and Kairi has to brace herself just so that she doesn't bump into someone. These people all look like they're important with their fancy suits and pencil skirts. Might be a good idea not to get on anyone's bad side.

"E-Excuse me! Sorry, s-sorry! Coming through!"

She checks her phone; it's 8:03. There must be some sort of Divine Being up in the clouds looking out for her. There's no way it's not 8:05 yet, is it? Well, Kairi isn't complaining. No time to dwell.

"Last chance for any boarders for Gummi Flight #102, kupo!"

That's her flight! She hurries to the Moogle flight attendant who sports a sharp uniform; it consists of an immaculately-fitted navy blue blazer, a perfectly pressed collar, a blue stewardess hat with a strategically placed flower resting in the crease, and a blue pencil skirt completes her ensemble. "How can I help you, kupo?" she asks Kairi.

Kairi has to keep herself from losing focus from the pure unadulterated cuteness of it and stay on the task at hand. "This is my flight!"

"I'm sorry, I can't let ya go until ya enter the check-in—"

"No, no, no! I'm enrolling into Daybreak Academy. They, uh, arranged for us to get through as long as we have a ticket. See this stamp? I-It means I'm qualified."

"Oh, well why didn't ya say so? Kupo!"

The moogle takes her ticket and allows her entry. At last, Kairi can breathe. She thanks the moogle and thumps down the aisle, panting as if she just finished the Olympics, first place.

Kairi stashes her luggage into one of the cabinets above before plopping into her seat. Looking back, she's able to laugh about the whole thing. For the first time this morning, she can relax.

The adorable little moogle flight attendant announces that the Gummi ship will be parting shortly and goes over all of the basic rules and regulations. Once everybody is all strapped in and ready for two hours of boredom and terrible snacks, the Gummi ship sets sail.

Of course, it is only _now_ that Kairi remembers—she totally forgot to pack her toothbrush.

 _Angels in flight..._

Roxas can't wait to leave.

He sits at the table barely touching his meal, only using his fork to play with whatever horribly burnt meat his father cooked up. He shares brief eye contact with his sister, Rikku, mutually disturbed by whatever atrocity their father was feeding them. It's so burnt it looks like he just put some coal on a plate and tried to pass it off as substantially edible breakfast.

Oddly enough, his twin brother is digging in as if he hasn't eaten for weeks. "How you liking the sausage, Ven, my boy?" his father asks.

Sausage? Is that what this is supposed to be?

"Great, Dad!" Ven says. "You made it just how I like it. Extra crispy!"

Without even considering to ask Roxas and Rikku how _they_ might like their sausage, Roxas might like to add. But it's typical of their father, casting a blind eye to anyone who isn't his beloved prodigal son.

"That's right," Dad says. "You two could use a big breakfast for what you have in store. My boy, Ven, getting into Daybreak's Keyblade Academy and you're already in the advanced class with Master Eraqus. Doesn't get any better than that." He smiles proudly. "Makin' me proud every day, champ."

"It's no big deal. I had to work hard if I was gonna be in the same class with Terra and Aqua."

Roxas rolls his eyes and plops his head down to the table. Rikku sends him a gaze full of empathy. For years, she has been the spectator of the brewing rivalry between her brothers; the prize being their father's affection. Ironically enough, her father and Ventus seem completely, almost hilariously oblivious that a rivalry was present. No matter what Roxas did, it's never enough.

"You know, Dad, Roxas worked really hard to get into Daybreak, too."

Father gives her a blank, almost perplexed stare before the realization of his inconsiderate behavior dawns him. "Oh, yes!" He smiles at Roxas, failing to notice his miserable disposition. "Good going, Roxas."

A typical response from his typical father. Roxas isn't surprised. Ventus had always been the golden child for as long as he could remember. Despite them both being Keyblade wielders, Ven always excelled beyond the standard for his age. Roxas isn't too bad himself—but Ventus, he is not.

Their father, being a renowned and respected former Keyblade Master who fought side-by-side with some of the universe's most cherished protectors of light in his time, grew attached to the natural gifts and abilities that Ventus displayed at such a young age, and after his wife passed away, it only got worse.

Roxas feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulls it out to get a glimpse of the message.

 **Hayner: hey dude, get over to the station! You didn't think you were gonna get away from us without saying goodbye, did you? We got ice cream ;)**

"Are you guys going to be entering the tournament at the Olympus Coliseum this year?" Dad asks.

"You bet!" Ventus answers immediately. "I've been training all summer for it! I'm ready. I think this time I'm gonna be able to knock that Hercules down a peg or two."

"You sure are confident," Rikku says. "Isn't he, like, a god?"

"Doesn't matter! Whether I win or not isn't important, so long as I try my best, right?"

"You're gonna do great, champ." Their father looks over to Roxas. "Don't suppose you've been training for any tournaments, Roxas? Not even for the Mirage Arena?"

Roxas grips his fist under the table. There probably wasn't a day that went by without his father comparing him to that overly positive, Mr. Perfect brother of his. And what's worse, Ventus is the _younger_ brother. By about, two minutes, sure—but still.

"No sir," Roxas answers.

"Hm." Father cuts a piece of his sausage. "Might wanna get started on that if you ever want to get up there with your brother."

"No worries, Dad! I'll get Roxy into shape in no time." Ventus clenches a fist full of determination. "Then we'll both make you proud!"

"I expect no less from you, Ven."

Roxas shoots up from his seat and pounds his fist against the dinner table, practically demanding the attention from his family, with his bangs hovering over his furious eyes. A silence pervades over whatever conversation they were having and Roxas picks up his backpack.

"I'm gonna get a head start over to the station."

Roxas makes his exit and Ventus looks upon his brother with genuine concern, while his father remains befuddled.

"H-Hey, wait—did I say something—" Ventus stutters.

Ven gets up from his seat but Rikku gestures him to stop as she stands up herself. "Just—just sit this one out, Ven."

Ventus sits back down with a pout as Rikku hurries outside to catch Roxas before he gets too far away.

"Roxas!"

Roxas stops, turning around to face his sister. It seems he's sobered up rather quickly.

"Hey, don't worry about Dad and Ven—you know they're not intentionally trying to hurt you, they just—they just—"

"I know, Rikku." Roxas smiles at his sister for at least trying to cheer him up. It's good to know someone cares.

Rikku smiles back. "Dad wants the best for you too, he's just—not the best at showing it. And maybe... a little distracted." She looks back to find Ventus and Father laughing away at whatever joke was said. "Or a lot distracted... but if anything ever happened to you, you know he'd be first in line to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, I guess watching them kiss each other's butt all the time gets a little nauseating."

Rikku scoffs. "Yeah, and I'm stuck with him until you guys get back."

"Hey, I'm stuck with the doofus, so it's not much better."

They share a quick laugh. Roxas has always been closer to her than he ever was with his father or even his brother, perhaps compensating for a lack of love from the former on both ends of the party.

She gently bumps him on the shoulder. "Now I want my little bro to get back in one piece, you hear?"

"No worries. And hey, maybe by the time I get back, I can finally put Ven in his place just to shut Dad up."

"Ugh, wouldn't that be the dream?"

Rikku gives him a hug and Roxas doesn't hesitate long to reciprocate the gesture.

"Take care of yourself, alright?"

"Gotcha." As they part ways, Roxas gives her one last assuring smile before setting off on his journey.

 _I need more affection than you know..._

For Roxas, the best part about living in Twilight Town is the never-ending sunset. The sky blends light orange and purple hues into a harmonic fuse with a brilliant sun highlighting the clouds in the distance. Roxas loves sitting on top of the Station Tower. He'd always come up here with his friends to eat ice cream—but he'd usually get here before them.

Truthfully, he likes spending time up here alone. He loves his friends, but their chatter left little room for true introspection. He wants to take some time to appreciate the town where he's grown into a young man, bask in the sweet memories, and savor this moment before setting out for the trip. He has his backpack right next to him.

"Yo, Roxas!"

Roxas turns around to spot his three best friends.

"Looks like bonehead Roxas got up here ten minutes before the rest of us," says Hayner with a grin.

Roxas cracks a smirk as they all sit beside him. "Oh, thanks!" he jokes. "Call me a bonehead all you want—all I care about is the ice cream."

"Geeze, Roxas—" says Pence, "I'm starting to get the idea you're only using us for ice cream these days."

"You mean you're just now figuring this out?" Roxas says.

"Oh, hush!" Olette playfully shoves him. "There's probably more truth to that statement than you're letting on."

Roxas only smiles as she pulls out four ice cream bars out of a bag.

"As promised." She smiles, handing his share over.

Sea-salt ice cream, of course. It's their favorite flavor. If there's anything he might miss more than this gorgeous view of the sunset, it's the ice cream. Roxas nearly drools at the sight of it.

"Don't get _too_ excited over it, Roxas." Hayner takes a bite out of his own.

"I can't help it," Roxas says. "It's just the perfect combination of sweet and salty."

"Ha! That's what Olette said—"

"Hayner!" She cuts him off with a punch in the arm, though she has to reach over Pence's shoulder.

"Ow!" Hayner rubs his arm, noting the embarrassed red hue glowing on her cheeks. "I was just kidding! Man, why are you so violent today?"

"I wouldn't have to be violent if you weren't such an idiot!"

"Hey, take it easy, guys," Pence interrupts. "We don't wanna ruin Roxas' last day in town, do we?"

They all turn to Roxas, who is, as they expect, completely droned out into another world as he mindlessly eats his ice cream.

Hayner shakes his head, but maintains a smile. "What a bonehead…"

Olette lightly rattles his shoulder. "Roxas?"

"H-Huh? Oh... sorry." He sighs. "It's just... I'm gonna miss this place. Never realized how much I would until I have to actually leave."

"Aw, cheer up, already!" Hayner says. "It's not like this is goodbye, right? You'll be back next summer."

True, but it's also an entire nine months without being able to sit in this very same spot, eat ice cream, and laugh with his best friends. Roxas feels a little uncertain if he's ready to give that up. But anything would be better than Twilight Academy.

"I know you think it's gonna take a long time," Olette begins, "but you can't pass up an opportunity to transfer from Twilight to Daybreak. It must be an honor to go there."

"Yeah... but, I wish I could take you guys."

"I wish I had a stinkin' Keyblade," Hayner mumbles, but Pence bumps him on the shoulder.

Pence looks over the town uncharacteristically intense; borderline frowning yet intent with his thoughts. He soon brightens up as if a light bulb popped over his head. "Hey, I know! How about we make a promise?"

The others share curious looks as Pence digs into his back pocket with his ice cream bar dangling loosely from his mouth. He pulls out the green crystal from the trophy Roxas won at the struggle tournament earlier in the summer.

Olette smiles and clasps her hands together elegantly. "Oh!" She retrieves her own yellow crystal. "What kind of promise will we make?"

Hayner, who has already finished his ice cream and now chews on a bare ice cream stick, pulls out his red crystal.

"Let's promise that on the first day Roxas gets back from Daybreak, that we'll all sit up here on the Station Tower like we always do and eat ice cream together. Just like old times."

Hayner scoffs. "We don't need to make a promise for that, it's a sure thing already! You just wanted an excuse to point your crystal towards the sun, didn't you?"

Pence lets out an edgy chuckle as he rubs the back of his head. "Uh—psh, no! Of course not..."

"Well, even so," Olette says, "it's never a bad thing to make it a promise. What I think the promise really means is... Roxas, don't hurt yourself out there. You're going to be worlds away from us for a little while, so just be safe and make it back here in one piece, okay?"

Roxas smiles with his bare ice cream stick suspended from his mouth and pulls out his patented blue crystal. "It's a promise."

As he points his crystal towards the glimmering sun, his friends follow suit. They watch their respective crystals sparkle under the sun's luscious glow. They like taking time to admire the beauty in the small things.

"How 'bout we make another promise?" asks Hayner. "How about when I kick your sorry butt in the struggle tournament next year, Roxas, you'll have to buy us ice cream for the whole summer!" He grins. "That way, no matter who wins, the four of us get to split the prize again."

Roxas laughs. No matter what, Hayner seemed like he was cursed to fall short in the tournament every year, but Roxas has to admire his persistence. He continues to enter no matter what. "Okay. You're on."

Roxas' phone rings. Checking the caller I.D, it's Ventus.

"Hello?"

"Hey, brother, you might wanna start heading down now. The train is leaving in about ten to fifteen minutes."

"Where are you?"

"I'm already here."

"Alright, I'm on my way."

Roxas sighs and gives his friends a final look of slight melancholy, a look which they return. The four friends clean up and head back downstairs.

Roxas clings to his backpack, part of him wishing he didn't have to go, but he'd rather not go back to Twilight Town's academy for up and coming Keyblade wielders. Besides, he's already enrolled—so he doesn't have much of a choice now. Olette senses Roxas' uneasiness and places an assuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be a stranger, Roxas!" Pence folds his hands behind his head.

"Yeah, don't forget to contact us," Olette says, or more accurately, demands.

"I won't." Roxas notices his best bud trying his hardest to look the other way. "Hayner. You alright, man?"

He sniffs. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm cool, man, just got some sweat in my eyes or something, I don't know..."

Roxas chuckles. "Right."

"Aww, isn't this cute?" says a voice that already makes the foursome's skin boil. They turn to see Seifer and his cronies, Rai, Fuu, and Vivi in all their glory. "Well, if it ain't the backstabbing traitor and his band of lamers."

"What do you want, Seifer?" Hayner asks, already raring up for a fight.

"Nothing. Was just in the neighborhood and I figured I couldn't pass up the chance to tell this loser off for being a sellout."

"Seifer, we've been over this," Roxas says. "I can't stay at Twilight Academy anymore. There's just way too much drama going on over there. I need something new."

"So you're just gonna ditch us and head for the hills to our rival school, of all places?"

"Two-timer," Fuu drones.

"Yeah, that was the lowest of the low, y'know!" says Rai. "How are you just gonna leave us for a bunch'a high and mighty snobs over at Daybreak, y'know?"

"As if Twilight Academy isn't so high and mighty itself?"

"Details," Seifer excuses. "Point is, you were one of our best, and just when it's time for the big showdown between our academies at Olympus, you go runnin' to enemy territory."

"I was planning on transferring way before we even knew about the tournament! You know that."

"Huh, whatever you say. Considering that you didn't tell us until _after_ the tournament was official, I'm not exactly inclined to believe you."

"Believe whatever you want."

Ventus runs up before them. "Roxas, we gotta go. Three minutes."

Seifer smirks. "Fine. I won't waste any more of the great Roxas' precious time. Go on, you just go running off to whoever you want to use to propel you to the top, but I'm always gonna be there to bring you down a notch and show you who's _really_ on top of the game."

"Oh yeah, you better hope you don't end up face-to-face with Seifer in the tournament, because he's gonna be kicking butt and taking names this year, y'know?"

"Seamless eradication," says Fuu.

Seifer chuckles as he and his crew turn the other cheek.

"Tough talk for the guy who hasn't even won a struggle tournament in two years!" Hayner shouts.

"Hayner, just let 'im go," Roxas says.

The train calls for any last boarders on the Gummi train.

"I guess that's my cue," Roxas says, watching his brother board the train.

"We're gonna miss you, Roxy," Olette says.

"Yeah," Roxas says, "wish I could stay, but..."

"Aw, cheer up already!" Hayner snickers. "Remember our promise? We'll see you when you get back!" He gives him a thumbs up.

Roxas seriously couldn't ask for better friends. They make his life back at home worth enduring if it meant he could see them. But almost a year without them? Hopefully, it won't be as bad as it sounds.

"Well... see ya."

They wave as he enters the train right behind Ventus and the two hand over their tickets. As the door closed, Pence can't help but watch the train leave, peaking at Roxas through the window, giving him one last wave goodbye as the train makes his way down the preset track.

Pence sighs as he turns around to get a look at Hayner and Olette. Hayner crossed his arms, seemingly in thought.

Their foursome has been cut down to three.

 _I need true emotions..._

"Sora, it's time to get up. We're gonna be late!"

Riku knocks on the door for the third time, only to receive no response—again. This isn't anything new to Riku but he hoped that maybe his best friend's first day of high school might be enough incentive to not be a lazy hobo for once.

Groaning, he opens the door to find his spiky-haired brunet partner in crime with his arm dangling near the edge of his bed as a silent stream of drool slides down the side of his mouth, his snores roaring through the silence.

Riku wants to rage, mostly because he called Sora fifteen minutes ago to hurry and get ready only to find him snoring up a storm once he arrived, but instead he smirks in good humor.

Riku leans against the doorframe. "Oh man, is that the aroma of your mother's bacon I smell?"

When Riku turns back around, Sora is already digging through his closet with a big, toothy grin as if he weren't just snoozing away moments prior. "Don't just stand there, Riku! We have a bright day ahead of us! And more importantly, _bacon!"_

Part of Riku feels bad for having to burst his best friend's bubble, but most of him is going to get a big kick out of it. "Sorry, no bacon this morning."

Sora's face falls into a monotone expression within moments and he drops whatever clothes he had in his hands before thumping back over to his bed. Riku steps in front of him before he can make it.

"Nice try. You're not getting away from me that easily. Sora, we have to get going—we're gonna be late for call-time."

"But... but _bacon,_ Riku..."

"Maybe we could have gotten some if, you know, you had gotten ready forever ago when I told you to."

Sora groans as he gently shoves Riku to the side, plunking down face first into a pillow. "Why can't summer be like—four months longer or something?" he muffles.

Riku shakes his head. "Come on, man. You're always like this in the morning, but once you wake up, you always end up going right back into your old goofy self."

His response is yet another groan. With a mischievous grin, Riku grabs the sheets and yanks them like a matador to a bull. Sora spins out of bed in a daze before rolling into a nearby wall. He rubs his head while Riku howls with laughter at his expense.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming! Sheesh..."

"Good. Now, hurry up! Don't take ten minutes to do your hair or something. I'll be downstairs laughing at you, okay?"

"So... there's seriously no bacon?"

Riku smiles apologetically. "I had to say something to get you out of bed."

Sora grumbles something barely audible. No bacon on a morning where waking up is obligatory makes for one grumpy Sora. But Riku is right, soon enough he'll get over it and go back to being an optimistic goofball.

He goes into his closet and drags out his suitcase; he got everything packed the night before. Now all he needs is an outfit. His red jumpsuit will do, along with his white and black jacket, gloves, a large pair of yellow shoes, and for the cherry on top, he rests his crown pendant around his neck.

He takes a look at the pendant one more time before giving it a quick peck for good measure. "Wish me luck, Dad."

Sora strolls down the velvet-colored stairs, though it takes a bit to reach the very bottom. It's one of the many downsides of living in a huge mansion—it takes forever just to get from one side of the house to another. But since he lives in Destiny Islands, home to some of the wealthiest in the universe, he expects no less.

Sora stumbles upon Riku and his mother chatting away in the vast entrance hall. With a radiant smile, his mother approaches Sora with her arms open wide. Sora returns the smile and gives his mother a big, warm hug. It'd be months until he'd see her again. They want to make it last.

"I'm so proud of you, Sora. This means so much to me, you following your parents footsteps, going to Daybreak... I couldn't be happier."

"I'm glad," Sora says. "When I come back, I'm gonna be Keyblade Master material!"

She finds that statement humorous. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You only just got your Keyblade a few years ago."

"Yeah, but Uncle Zack has been teaching me a lot. Hey, maybe I'll even be able to give Riku a run for his money."

"Hey, hey," Riku says behind them, his arms crossed. "Like your mom said, let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's great to dream big, Sora, but let's start out small, alright?"

Sora sticks his tongue out at him as his mother kisses him on the cheek. "Now Sora, you make sure to check in with me as soon as you and Riku make it to Daybreak Academy, safe and sound. I wish I could fly you there in our own personal Gummi ship, but the council will kill me if I take another day off."

"Don't sweat it, Mom. Everything is gonna be alright."

"What he said, Mrs. Yoshinaga. As long as I'm there to keep this slacker in check," Riku says as he smacks Sora upside the head, leading him receiving a scowl from the latter, "you've got nothing to worry about."

She giggles. She sure is going to miss their playful banter. "Still, you can never be too careful."

"It'll be fine!" Sora chuckles as he wraps his hands behind his head.

Mrs. Yoshinaga settles into another warm smile before nodding. She tries her best to contain her excitement. The boys are taking such huge steps in their lives and she couldn't be any prouder of the both of them. "Have a safe trip. I love you."

"Love you, too!"

"Do your best out there!"

"Of course! Don't expect any less."

Sora and Riku race out the front door and shift around the corner to reach the backyard, closed off by a white fence, where Riku has already parked his chocobo. Only the wealthy could ever afford their own personal chocobo, but it is quite common in Destiny Islands. Just living here is a testament to your status. With its ideally balanced weather, verdant vegetation, beaming sun, and tropical-themed architecture, there isn't a person in the universe who doesn't fantasize vacationing to this world with the family.

"What time does the Gummi train to Daybreak Town leave?" Sora asks as he leaps onto his own chocobo, as Riku does the same.

"I'd say we have about fifteen more minutes. So we don't have to be in any rush just yet."

The two set off on their chocobo's, waving to Sora's mother on the porch one last time before easing down the road.

"I'm getting excited just thinking about it, Riku! You think we're gonna meet any cool people?"

"Sure. Considering that everybody had to pass the audition to even qualify for classes at Daybreak, I'm sure we'll meet at least someone really awesome. I don't know how _you_ qualified to get in, but..."

"Yeah... hey, wait a minute!"

Riku chortles. "You're such a kid. As usual."

"Say, you think the other kids at school are gonna like me?"

Riku is surprised to hear his friend actually ask that. It seemed like wherever they went, Sora was a magnet for eyes everywhere. People loved him. Why would it be any different this time? "You'll be fine. Trust me, Daybreak is a pretty chill place. Just be your usual, dorky self and you shouldn't have any trouble. You might have a little trouble with the ladies, but hey, that's what I'm here for, right?"

Sora rolls his eyes. "Oh, whatever." He takes a look at his pendant. "I guess I'm just trying to distract myself from what I really want to ask..."

Riku eyes him sympathetically. It was only a matter of time. "Sora, you don't have to be so hard on yourself about what happened to your dad. The last thing he would want is for you to be dwelling over it."

"Yeah, I know, I just... I don't know. I can't help but feel responsible, you know?" Sora looks up to the sun, a melancholy carved into his features. "I just—I just wanna make it up to him."

"If you wanna make anything up to him, just be happy. Your dad wouldn't like to see you act like this, it's so not you. All he wants is for you to be happy. So, promise me, when we get to the school, you're gonna go back to being a goofball and you can move on from what happened."

Sora chuckles. He speaks of it as if it's so simple. But school might be just what he needs to get his mind off of his father. Even after three years without him, the memories still haunt him. It's faint, but it's there. He figures that maybe living out his father's dream of becoming an authentic Keyblade Master might help make his death not feel like an outcome in vain.

"I promise." And Sora is always serious about his promises.

Riku smiles. "That's what I like to hear."

Sora also promises his father that he'll make it up to him. He'll make him proud someday.

"Race you to the station!" Sora whips his chocobo's halter back and sends it speeding down the road.

"Okay, you asked for it!" Riku does the same and in the matter of moments, he's able to catch up to Sora. "I'm gonna leave you in the dust!"

But Riku is right about one thing. Being all gloomy and a total inverse of his normal self isn't going to help anybody. Sora will make things right, but until then, all he can do is be happy. Or, at least try.

"Oh, dream on!"

 _You showed me how to see, that nothing is whole and..._

* * *

So, what did you think? This is my next big project and I wanted to wait until I got finished with Rags To Riches before I started on this, but I couldn't help it.

I want this story to have a nice balance between humor and seriousness. I want to be able to have fun with it, but still take it seriously when serious moments get really... uh, serious.

I worked really hard on this chapter and getting all the details figured out for this story, and I think (hope) I have some really cool ideas. I've got so many ideas for how this universe works and how the school works, and I think this could just be a really fun story if you give it a chance! So please leave me a review and let me know what you think! I would appreciate it SO much!

Much love and huge shoutout to **Theysharethesamesky** for reading over this and giving me some final feedback to boost my confidence in uploading this thing! Go check out her story, **The Return of Eraqus.** Here's the summary for it:

The process of fixing a heart is easier said than done. Sora must sleep as Naminé fixes his heart, but can it survive the pain of being restored? In his year long dream inside of his pod, he unconsciously seeks out the guidance of the man a small part of him once called master, the only one he knows can teach him strength of heart through the hardest of trials: Eraqus.

It takes place during the time when Sora was asleep and Namine had to recreate his memories, and it's basically a big 'what if' for what was actually happening to Sora while he was getting his memories restored. It's a really interesting story and she's really talented so go do that! Now! Seriously!

Also, the summary for this story is still kind of a work in progress

 **#bananasquad**


	3. The Clash

**AN: Okay, I'm kind of ashamed of the length of this chapter, but there's a lot that I wanted to get accomplished in this chapter that I felt didn't need to be spread out. Although, I might end up chopping this chapter into two/three eventually. I really, really try to aim for 5,000 words maximum, but this one kinda went out of hand and wrote itself almost. I had a lot of fun with this chapter, so please let me know what you think!**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Clash**

"You know, brother, glaring out the window isn't the best pastime for a train ride."

For once, Roxas was enjoying the peace and quiet, losing himself in his own thoughts—of course, his brother pulls him out of that joyous form of escapism. He grumbles as he turns from the window; Ventus sits across from him, his lips curled upwards into an empathetic smile.

They sit comfortably in a booth inside of one of the many dining cars available on the Gummi train.

"Right. Because you just know everything about what's best for me, Mr. Perfect?"

Ven's face scrunches into a contortion of confusion. It seems that Roxas has been intent on giving him the cold shoulder. In hindsight, they've been aboard the train for approximately two minutes and the engine has yet to start, but it's quite unsettling to have a brother with absolutely no desire to withstand his company.

"Come on, brother. Talk to me. Did I do something that I should know about or...?"

Roxas manages to fake a painfully sarcastic smile. "Everything is just rosebuds and dandelions, 'brother'." Though, Roxas sobers up in the matter of moments and returns to his usual grim expression.

Ventus sighs, taking note of Roxas' far from subtle body language that perhaps now isn't the best time. His stomach twists with remorse and guilt as his mind rummages through multiple different scenarios in search of what he could have possibly done to make his brother detest him so much. He never _meant_ to do him any harm, did he?

The train's engine huffs and puffs as it begins chugging down the track, signaling the passengers that it's time to set sail. The twins watch out of the star-shaped window as they pass by the quiet, humble town of Twilight. The train rocks and sways and the tracks rustle below, working through the railroad.

Suddenly, an outburst of light flares outside and softens into a new environment; a realm which serves as a pathway between numerous different worlds.

The railroad tracks now glow in a bright emerald green, as the big purple train rides through the vast sea of a black sky glittered by stars, and a translucent green exhaust sifts through the atmosphere like a gentle smog.

The moogle engineer, who wears a nifty little conductor's hat with blue stripes and a red ball attached to a string on top, tugs on the cord to sound the horn.

The actual conductor of the train speaks, in his shirt, tie, and hat. "For those on their way to Traverse, it's a five-minute trip, thirty minutes to Daybreak, and about forty-five minutes 'til we reach Dwarf Woodlands, kupo! So just sit back and get comfortable! Our only wish as staff and crew of the Moogle Station is only to provide our customers with the best mode of transportation and service available, kupo!"

Roxas rolls his eyes. Those moogles remind him of his brother; exuding unadulterated happiness and positivity all the time. Disgusting.

"You know, I'm starting to want to become a moogle," Ventus jokes. "Their entire species is rich."

Roxas fails (or rather, refuses) to respond and proceeds with his inspection of the green mist outside of his window. A female moogle approaches them donning a classic waitress uniform, consisting of a blue dress with an oval white collar, a white apron, and short sleeves.

"Can I get you gentlemen anything to eat or drink? Kupo!"

Ventus smiles and waves courteously. "No thanks, we won't we be here very long."

"Alrighty, then! Enjoy yourselves!"

As she retreats to another booth and offers her service to another passenger, Ventus chuckles. "Man, their service is impeccable. You know, I think Dad might really enjoy—"

"Let's make a deal," Roxas interrupts. "When we get back home next summer, I'll do your chores for a whole month. All you have to do is keep quiet, and we can get through this ride in peaceful, uninterrupted silence."

Ventus pouts, puffing out his cheeks. "Well, you're definitely gonna be making friends with that chipper attitude."

"See? Right there. Please zip it before you turn into a condescending douche."

The idea of Ven being a douche in any form brings him crestfallen amusement, but the accusation still blemishes his high spirits intimately. Though, he decides to let it go. Roxas is just being... Roxas.

"Arrival in Traverse Town!" says the conductor. "All passengers who wish to exit may now do so, kupo!"

A young girl stumbles into the front and showcases her ticket. Blue-eyed and animated, Roxas notices she's acquired one of those special Daybreak Academy tickets that he and Ventus received. She must be another student—on top of that, she looks about their age.

She sports short raven hair with a duffle bag firmly attached to her hip. She faintly bounces up and down on her heels, looking rather impatient and frantic. Nonetheless, she manages to deliver a cordially contrived smile to the engineer.

"Hello! My name is Xion Kisaragi, um, could you please hold on for _just_ a second? My friend should be here, like, any minute now." She chuckles nervously. "Even though he should have been here about thirty minutes ago," she fusses under her breath.

"Aw, I'd love to," the moogle responds. "But we are on a schedule..."

"I-I know, but, see, it's the first day of school and my friend, he—"

"Ladies, gentlemen," says the voice of a young man with long red locks as he steps inside for his grand entrance. "Your Messiah of magnificence has arrived—in style, might I add."

He dons a pair of shades, some black slacks, and a navy blue blazer jacket. Standing behind him is a stoic woman with long, pink hair that flows shamelessly in a complementing pink blouse and black skirt. She eyes her clipboard through her thin ovular glasses. He flashes his pearly whites, swiftly removes his sunglasses—as if bathing in his own self-saturation of egotism.

Xion pinches the bridge of her nose in a mix of exhaustion and frustrated embarrassment. "Never mind."

The two display their Daybreak Academy certified tickets to get them scanned for confirmation that they're legitimate.

"Really, Axel? Thirty minutes? On the first flippin' day of school?"

"Hey, I'm here now, aren't I? Now, come on, did you really have a reason to not have any faith that I'd make it?"

They're led down the aisle to find a seat. Axel stuffs his hands in his pockets as he strides, reeking of a burbling arrogance. And yet, the ladies swoon as he passes, baffling Xion. Perhaps it was the sixteen years of friendship that rendered her sufficiently unimpressed, but she views him as an extraordinary specimen of unremarkable in the guise of actual virtue. She can't figure if their admiration is born from his personality or his money. She prays it's the latter.

"Uh, yes," Xion says, as if it were obvious. "And you were still almost late, ding bat! I mean, why am I surprised? You were always late to class in middle school no matter how many times I chewed you out about it. And as usual, you'd never listen to m—"

"Yeah, that's great, sweet cheeks. Now, chop chop. Now it's you holding us back, time's a-wastin'."

Xion groans. She knows better than anyone that arguing with her extremely narcissistic best friend is a futile ambition. In fact, it's a noble ambition that requires a great deal of bravery that one should be commended for. But Xion doesn't need the stress. Just go with the flow, Xion... just go with the flow.

"You know, we could have just taken your private Gummi Ship if you didn't crash the damn thing," Xion says. "Now it's off-limits to us until next summer."

"Yes, and your constant reminders this morning are really going to change that. Hakuna Matata, baby." He picks up a glass of martini on the platter of one of the passing waitresses and takes a 'rich guy' sip.

Roxas finds this Axel to be quite the character. The train stops for a quick maintenance check from the conductor. The force of the sudden stop sends Xion hurtling, conveniently, in Roxas' direction.

"Whoa!" she cries, holding her bag to her chest for dear life.

Roxas, through his peripheral, is able to spot her in the nick of time as he catches her right on cue.

Axel sighs and shakes his head. "Where's a good train engineer when you need one?"

Xion flutters her eyes open and gradually heightens her vision to discover the concerned eyes of Roxas. In her view, he's upside-down. Wow, he has some really nice eyes. They're very blue. Like the type of sparkling blue you'd only see in those cheesy romances—

"Uh, are you okay?" Roxas asks, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Xion can feel her cheeks burn with a hue of humiliation for being caught staring so blatantly. She scrambles up into a sitting position and gives the stranger a smile. "Yes, yes! I'm fine. Nice save!"

He nods, giving her a smile of his own. "No problem."

"Well, I guess we found a place to crash until we get to town," Axel says as he slides into the booth next to Ventus. "You two frighteningly similar-looking fellows don't mind if we bunk with you guys, right?"

Ventus blinks. "Well, I—"

"'Course you don't!" Axel interrupts, kicking his feet up onto the table. "Marluxia," he says, addressing the professionally deadpan assistant of his. "Look at my schedule. Make time for us to call the Moogle station when we arrive, honey. Maybe get into talks about buying 'em out. Tell 'em they need to install some air conditioners in these things."

"Noted, sir," Marluxia responds, tapping away into her business phone as while simultaneously writing on her clipboard.

"And tell 'em this place needs a serious upgrade. More TV entertainment systems, more chicks than moogles, preferably in kinky maid outfits, some snacks, maybe even some alcohol."

Roxas and Ventus exchange puzzled glances while Xion only plunks face first onto the table, inwardly begging for Axel to put a sock in it or rather in the spectacle of a miracle, he loses his voice—permanently.

"Check, check, check, and check," Marluxia says. "Anything else, sir?"

"Nah, we're good. Oh, but be a dear and hit up the headmaster at Daybreak Academy if you can. I wanna make sure my dorm room at the school is prepared to my finer affinity, like he promised. If I don't have a hot tub in that thing, I want you to prepare the ritualistic bonfire and we will commence sufficiently burning that place to the ground and cut the plug on our sponsorship."

Roxas tenses up a bit at his casual, fast-talking yet smooth delivery.

"So, I guess that means you guys are headed to Daybreak Academy?" Ventus asks.

"Eh, yeah," Xion answers. "I got accepted over the summer. It's kinda overwhelming, coming in as freshmen and all. Well, I'm a freshman, he's a sophomore."

"That's funny," says Ventus. "We're freshmen on our way to Daybreak Academy, too."

Axel removes his legs from the table. "Get outta town. Well, looks like we ran into each other almost by convenience." He smacks his forehead. "Ah, where are my manners?"

"You mean you have manners…?" Xion mutters under her breath.

"The name's Axel Fujiwara. Got it memorized?"

"Fujiwara?" Ventus asks. "You mean—"

"Yes, yes, I know," Axel says, waving his hands. "Son, and future heir of Ezekiel Fujiwara, who is a business tycoon, worldwide famous entrepreneur in partnership with Scrooge McDuck Corporation, also the primary owner and founder of the Gummi Ship maintenance facilities scattered all across the multiverse, and is currently investing in easily accessible Warp-G's to help ships travel to destinations in expedient record time." Proud of himself, Axel leans back in his seat smugly and folds his hands behind his head.

"Translation, he's filthy stinkin' rich," Xion adds. "If it weren't already obvious. We've pretty much been inseparable since we were kids. Our parents are really close—friends since high school."

"Mmmmmhmm," Axel hums. "And this one's had the hots for me ever since we were in diapers. I knew from the moment she tried to suck on my pacifier."

"Oh, dude! Really?" Xion groans. "In my defense, all pacifiers look alike!"

"But I just had to let her down gently. Settling down just isn't my style, you know? I gotta get around, let the ladies appreciate me. You get what I'm talkin' about, right?" Axel asks as he wraps an arm around Ventus.

"Uh, sure," Ven says.

"Ignore him," Xion says. "I'm Xion Kisaragi."

"Roxas Uchimaya." Roxas grins as he shakes her hand. "This is my brother, Ventus."

Ventus gestures a salute.

"Roxas and Ventus, huh?" Axel says. "You guys are gonna love Daybreak Academy. You never know, might end up being in the same dorm room as me. And trust me, you're gonna wanna be in the same dorm room as me." He slips his shades back on.

"Uh..." Roxas chuckles uneasily. "I'm somewhere in between the realm of curiosity and dreadfulness. Not sure which one is more appetizing..."

"Be afraid," Xion deadpans. "Be very afraid."

"Ah, see? I like this guy. What's your name again? Roxane? Marly, keep an eye on 'im and his brother. Make sure they're protected. Top class. I can get you two the finest body guards on the menu."

The twins share an amused look.

"Uh, no thanks, we can handle ourselves. We're not going to a Keyblade Academy for nothing, right?" Ventus says.

"And it's Roxas," Roxas corrects.

"Too true, but you never know with this school. Those guys over in enemy territory might be there to snap your neck in your sleep if you're not careful. And with the semester tournament coming up, all hell is gonna break loose. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

"Does it really get that serious?" Roxas asks.

"Does it really get that serious?" Axel repeats, baffled that he was ever asked such a thing. "It's ruthless, man. Even the teachers turn into frivolous, narrow-minded, dimwitted dunderheads with a cutthroat mentally over the most frivolous affairs. So you can imagine what kind of image is being influenced onto our peers."

"Yeah, I heard it gets really rough, especially between Daybreak and Twilight," Xion adds. "Last year, some kid ended up getting his throat crushed and can barely even talk now."

"Are you serious?" the brothers synchronize in shock.

"I solemnly swear," says Axel. "So you fellas had better start packing some heat on those scrawny biceps you got there, or else you're in for a world of hurt. Got it memorized?"

The twins had no idea it was _that_ intense. They don't want their first big tournament to be riddled with injuries or even death.

This is going to be one hell of a year.

* * *

It's been a few minutes since the flight landed in Daybreak Town. All those aboard scramble in an unorderly procedure to retrieve their items in the upper cabinets.

All for except one Kairi Moroboshi, who snores indecently, held captive by the mystical, hallucinogenic domain of pink elephants and cookie dough, ignorant of her unintentionally rude behavior. Drool escapes the side of her mouth and her body slouches in her seat.

The flight attendant gently rattles her shoulder. "Miss? Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

As Kairi gradually comes to, she squints from the sun's glare. She slurps up her saliva and looks down at the flight attendant in confusion. "Huh?"

"We're here, kupo!"

Kairi gasps with wide eyes as the memories hit her like a ton of bricks. "Oh, goodness!" She scrambles out of her seat, thanks the flight attendant for her kindness, and retrieves her baggage out of the cabinet before rushing out of the aisle.

She gets her ticket scanned one last time before exiting the Moogle Station and into town.

Kairi pauses for a moment on arrival. Daybreak Town, in the flesh.

It's nothing too glamourous, but she's filled with an impression of warmth and security. Humans and moogles populate the avenues in a happy equilibrium. Every house is inspired by the Victorian Age with purple rooftops spreading for miles. It fits—the sky is decorated in lavender clouds that dawdle overhead.

She inhales the unfamiliar breath of Daybreak Town, which oddly, but refreshingly smells of marshmallows.

And then, Kairi's world shatters to pieces. Because she now realizes that not only did she forget her toothbrush, but also the map of Daybreak Town that the academy sent her after her acceptance.

In other words, Kairi is a lost puppy. That, mixed with her painful social anxiety and klutzy tendencies, equated to a stressful start of the day.

Here we go again.

Kairi pulls out her phone and checks the time. Luckily time zones differ from world to world, so it's only 7:45 AM, meaning she has about twenty minutes before call time.

Kairi observes the lively citizens pass her by; they all look so important and busy like they have things to do and places to be. The last thing she wants to do is be a bother to anybody.

"I hate my life."

Kairi walks around town aimlessly. The ground is made up of cobblestones, some even in nifty little star-shaped patterns.

For what feels like an eternity, Kairi searches, occasionally getting distracted by any glamorous landmarks.

At last, Kairi internally accepts that she has to grow a pair and ask someone for directions. The act of making conversation with strangers feels like a scary task.

It's times like this when she regrets being a homeschooled only child for several years without social interaction.

She spots a nice-looking, attractive couple a few feet away and she clears her throat. "U-Um, e-e-e-excuse me?" The two seem oblivious, as if they don't hear her at all, and walk by as if she's nonexistent.

Her cheeks boil in the matter of seconds and she feels lightheaded, but tries to ignore it and attempts to gain anyone's attention.

"E-E-E-Excuse me, sir? I—uh—um, I-I need to get to Daybreak A-Academy. Er, ma'am? E-Excuse me, please."

Nobody bats an eyelash her direction. Though, it isn't out of spite, they genuinely don't hear her timid mumbles and whispers.

Kairi sighs. She hangs her head low and drags her body towards the main area where a huge fountain gushes cascades of water in the dead center.

Kairi takes a seat on the ledge and pulls out her phone. It's 7:55 AM, already. What is she supposed to do? She has ten minutes before she's late. Way to go, Kairi. You officially suck.

"You lost or something?"

"EEEEP!" Kairi yelps, nearly tumbling back into the water with her arms flailing madly in circular motions, hoping to regain some balance, before a hand takes ahold of her wrist and pulls her back up.

"Wow. You're a sprightly one, aren't you? Take it easy."

A figure blocks her view of the sun. She stands tall and proud as her long, black hair with navy blue highlights flap against the gentle breeze. She wears a grey zipper shirt overlapped by a black vest and a studded belt wraps around her black skirt. Her feet bear black boots and knee-high socks.

Clearly, this girl has an unbalanced devotion to the color black, aside from her pair of pink, star-shaped earrings.

"O-Oh, uh... hello."

The stranger bends down to get a closer look at Kairi. "I'm gonna take a wild guess that you're not from around here?"

"T-That obvious, huh?"

"Well, with the way I saw you bumbling around a few seconds ago, trying to get anyone's attention, though failing epically so, I think it's safe for me to assume you're not a local." She notices Kairi's ticket. "Oh, so you're goin' to the academy?"

"H-H-How did you k-know?" The girl snatches the ticket and jumps off the ledge of the fountain. "H-Hey!"

"Rank A, huh? Very nice. You must have some talent." Kairi twiddles her thumbs and taps her feet frantically, with a single beam of sweat sliding down the side of her forehead. "Jeez, I'm not Medusa, you know? It's okay to look me in the eyes. Trust me, I don't bite. That much." She smirks.

Kairi wildly shifts her gaze from the side to the stranger. "U-Um, sorry... I've just, never done this before, I guess."

"Well, no worries!" She hands Kairi her ticket back. "I know this city like the back of my hand. I can take you to the academy."

"Really? T-That would be lovely!"

"Yeah, sure thing, kid!" She takes Kairi by the hand and helps lift her to her feet. She picks up her bag. "By the way, I'm Skuld."

"M-My name is K-Kairi."

"Alrighty then, Kairi," Skuld says with a smile. "Let's get moving."

...

Three minutes of silence passes with nary a sentence exchanged between the two strangers. Kairi's lip trembles, keeping her sweaty hands clasped together. Awkward situations make her feel like she's somehow inadequate. She can't even start up a darn conversation.

Skuld, on the contrary, strolls through town with a lackadaisical ambience, slugging Kairi's bag over her shoulder. She hardly even notices Kairi's lack of social skills and inability to make conversation.

In fact, her mind is elsewhere. She can't spot that troublemaker anywhere and she just prays he's not out there causing _too_ much trouble. She always has to play cleanup for his messes.

Kairi musters up some courage. "So, uh—a-a-are you a student at Daybreak, too?" she asks, gulping.

The question pulls Skuld from her thoughts. She rubs the back of her head and sends Kairi an apologetic smile, feeling rude for completely ignoring her this whole trip. "Oh, no. I'm not exactly on Daybreak's top priority list."

"Er, what do you mean by that?"

It takes a moment for Skuld to formulate a proper answer. "Let's just say, me and Daybreak Academy have our... issues."

Was that to imply that she used to go there? Before Kairi can ask her to elaborate—

"Here we are!"

Kairi's jaw drops as she looks up at the massive architecture before her. It's one thing to look at such a structure in pictures, but it doesn't compare to a firsthand experience.

Intimidating in its proud stature, it watches over the town with a huge, circular glass window decorated with artsy geometric patterns; the sun bounces off the reflection brilliantly. The walls are smeared in a light peach—four large columns topped off with purple colored cones reach for the sky on all four sides of the building. Even the door is overly dramatic with its size.

Skuld scoffs, barely able to stand the sight of this place. Nonetheless, she grins at Kairi and hands back her bag. "Don't let the glitz and glamour fool you. It's just like any other school. Do me a favor and lighten up a little bit though, no need to be so tense."

"I-I-I—thank you..."

"Don't mention it." She places a hand on her shoulder as she makes her way. "Say, you never know. Maybe we'll see each other again. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll probably be by the Square's fountain."

Someone to talk to? This Skuld sure is friendly. They've hardly said a word to each other and yet she's acting as if they really hit it off. Kairi figures she made a fool out of herself.

Kairi shakes it off and hurries inside. As she enters the main lobby, she's immediately caught surprise with not only the capacity of the room, but how packed it is as well. Seriously, the place is brimming to the corners with students, all chatting amongst each other as they all wait for some kind of grand announcement to lead them in the right direction.

Kairi can hardly squeeze through the cluster of bodies and she feels her anxiety kick back in. Everyone around her seems so content with themselves, so lively and perfectly comfortable communicating with, presumably, strangers they've never met a day before today. Kairi wishes she could have some of that confidence... oh, just one smackaral or two would be good right now.

Kairi, not looking where she's going as usual, bumps into the rock hard back of none other than Axel, who is brought out of his conversation with Roxas, Ventus, and Xion. Kairi flails her arms. "S-S-S-S-Sorry! Sorry, sorry! I-I-I—"

"Relax," Axel says as he puts a finger to her lips. "You need to cut loose, let off some of that tension. Let papa Axel... loosen you up," he whispers huskily into her ear. He massages her shoulders and grins.

Kairi trembles, not because she's stricken with stimulation or exotic tingles of pleasure, but because she's scared shitless. Too close, too close, too close...

Xion rolls her eyes. "Are you seriously doing this now? Come on, Axel, leave her—"

"Hey, I'm just being friendly. What, do you think I wanna bang every broad on the planet or something?"

"Yes!"

"Well, you're not wrong. But, this isn't one of those times. My sex appeal isn't _that_ dangerous, Xion—I know when to tone it down."

Sex appeal? The thought makes Kairi swallow a lump in her throat and blush madly.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I was—"

"You know," says another voice, as he grips Axel by the forearm and forces him away from Kairi. "I would think someone with common sense would recognize signals like someone shaking in their boots that they're not interested."

Axel notices Kairi—timid and innocent, she looks as if she might burst into tears any moment. That was the last thing Axel intended and guilt begins to swell in his stomach. Though, he does a good job of not showing it. "Sorry, kid, I didn't mean to scare you." He turns his attention back to the punk who dared lay a hand on him. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"Riku Shima." He grins. "And I don't exactly take womanizing playboys like you too kindly. Call me old fashion."

"You do realize that I could seriously sue you out of your butt cheeks just for laying a hand on me, don't you?"

Riku scoffs humorously. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

"Do you know who I am?"

"Gonna take a guess you're the hotshot heir of big-time entrepreneur, Ezekiel Fujiwara."

Axel smirks. "Well, at least you're not a _complete_ Neanderthal."

"I've heard about you—you're so rich that your goldfish will probably get a piece of your inheritance, but I'm not impressed. You go through women like toilet paper, then flush 'em out of your life when you're finished. You're reckless, always getting yourself and the people around you into more trouble than its worth, and you take your blessings for granted while flaunting your luscious life, shoving it down everyone else's throats."

Axel taps his chin. "You also forgot that I'm rude, don't play too well with others, self-absorbed with breathtaking narcissism issues, likes to live life for the moment, egotistical, and dangerously cunning to the point where one might even view me as manipulative. Anything else?"

Riku shakes his head. "You don't deserve to be here. The people at this school are prepared to lay their lives down on the line and put others before themselves in service of the people. Now, do you really think you and all of your self-proclaimed 'narcissism' is up for that task? I don't think you are, pal."

"Jeez louise, did someone write this dramatic dialogue up for you," wink, wink, "or are you really this dramatic? Please, somebody get this man a martini, a massage chair, and some scented candles," he says jokingly as he puts a hand on his shoulder. But Riku isn't very amused and knocks it away.

"This isn't a game."

"Hey, hey, hey," says Xion, butting into the conversation. "I think you need to back off." She pokes Riku on the chest. "My friend here may not be the ideal gentleman, but he didn't mean any harm. So just let it go and mind your own business, will you?"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember your invitation into the conversation..." Riku says in a rather uncivil tone.

Xion scoffs in disgust. "Wow, all that muscle you got there ought to be transferred to your head, you big lug!"

"Whoa, whoa," Sora says, entering in the middle of the fray. "What's going on here, guys?"

"You should put a leash on your Mr. Tough guy pal of yours," says Axel. "He sure does have a mouth on him. And he's lucky we're in a cramped environment, or I'd have to teach 'im a lesson in respect."

"Are you threatening me?" Riku asks. "You know, it's ironic that you talk about respect when you were just harassing a girl just a few seconds ago."

"You must have a particularly abstruse definition of harassment there, buddy," says Axel. "I was just talking to her."

Sora pouts. "Come on, guys, where's the love? It's the first day of school... Can't we all just get along?"

"If only we lived in a perfect world." Axel sighs. "But then you got guys like him." He points his thumb towards Riku passively.

"I'm getting really sick of your attitude, mister," Riku says with a devilish grin.

"You're the one who started this!" says Xion. "I respect your intentions, but you should have just left right after that and minded your own business. _You're_ the one picking fights, so stop making an ass out of yourself and leave us alone!"

"Hey, I say why not let the man let off a little steam?" Axel asks. "He's asking for it, isn't he?"

"Guys, come on. Let's just stop all of this craziness and shake hands, okay? We should start learning to get along if we're going to be joining forces to help protect the innocent. Arguing like this is pointless."

Roxas rolls his eyes. "Oh, brother," he says, far from hushed.

Sora is taken aback for a moment. "Um... I'm sorry?"

"Nothing, just—how typical can you be, man? You can't just lay down a half-assed motivational speech and expect people to follow."

Sora crosses his arms, looking a bit puzzled. "Um, I'm sorry if I've done something to upset you, but—"

"Let me guess, you're Mr. Nice Guy, huh? With heart full of gold, compassionate, kindness, caring, and completely void of a dark side?"

"Hey, where is this all coming from?"

"Nothing. I just don't really trust someone without a dark side." Roxas eyes his brother Ventus behind him. This guy reminded him so much of his brother it made him sick; a boy scout with picture perfect cookie-cutter image. "So how about you back away from my friends before I have to let off some steam myself."

Sora frowns. "Hey, I don't know where this is all coming from, but you're not being very nice."

"Well, looks like all the pieces are in place," says Axel. "Nothing a good ol' fashion brawl can't fix."

"Is that a challenge?" Riku grins.

"If it means we can put a sock in you guys' mouths, then yeah, it is," Xion says. "Who do you blockheads think you are, coming up here with this tough guy act? We oughta beat some manners into you!"

"Er—no, I also vote for peace," Ventus chimes in, who tried staying out of the argument as long as possible. "We don't wanna get suspended on the first day, do we?"

"Well, you know what they say," Axel says with a shrug. "If you can't join em..."

And with that, Axel quickly materializes his Frolic Flame Keyblade and whacks Riku so hard that his body crashes into the wall behind them. Kairi gasps.

"Beat 'em!" Axel finishes with a smirk.

And so the battle begins...

Everybody in the room takes notice and chaos ensues as they all jostle out of the front door. In normal high schools, a fight in the middle of an expansive lobby would demand a crowd, however at Daybreak, where everybody wields deadly weapons capable of mass destruction, it's best to steer clear.

"Hey, back off!" Sora yells, summoning his own Keyblade, the Kingdom Key.

He runs towards Axel and the two clash blades, before Xion steps in with a swift kick to Sora and batting him away with her own Keyblade, True Light's Flight.

Sora regains his balance before he can hit the wall. He sprints towards his opponents and shoots out an icy path before him—he slides on the ice and somersaults into the air, spiraling down while blasting rays of light.

Xion and Axel feel the wrath of a few bolts, but Xion covers them in a protective Reflera spell.

As soon as Sora lands, he's tackled by Roxas. They roll on the ground and Roxas throws him into the distance, hurtling him towards Riku.

Roxas summons his Abaddon Plasma Keyblade and zips towards Sora and Riku.

Riku chuckles dryly as he leaps from his position on the wall and grabs Sora's hand in midair—the two spin for a moment before Riku hurls Sora right back to Roxas.

Roxas stops in his tracks as Sora prepares to swipe him, but Roxas guards in the nick of time. The two duke it out, clanking Keyblades, with Sora occasionally having to dodge due to Roxas' more aggressive method of attack.

Riku summons his Way to the Dawn and lunges towards the ongoing fray between Sora and Roxas, but he's hit with a fire bolt.

He clutches his stomach and groans in slight pain, looking up to find Axel leaning against his Keyblade with a smug look, shining his fingernails.

Riku smirks. "That all you got?"

"Oh, there's plenty more where that came from." Axel discharges multiple pellets of fire, but Riku is able to run, dodge, and flip over any tables to get of the way. Riku leaps over a table before quickly spin-kicking it towards Axel as a distraction before getting the jump on him.

Roxas knocks Sora back, but Sora regains his momentum in midair and blasts a sheet of blizzard at Roxas, freezing his feet stuck to the marble floor. Roxas struggles, gnawing his teeth.

Sora lunges towards Roxas, but he's blocked from Roxas' path by Xion. She overpowers him and knocks him back.

Sora smashes into the ground and rolls onto his knees. Xion swipes the ice off Roxas' feet and the two make a dash towards Sora.

Before they can attack, Ventus steps in with his Wayward Wind Keyblade, single-handedly protecting Sora.

"Ventus, what are you doing?" Roxas asks.

"Hey, I had to even the playing field, didn't I?" Ventus says with a grin. With them distracted, Sora somersaults over Ven and slashes the pair away.

The lobby is practically empty aside from Kairi, who watches from the sidelines behind a table in a mixture of fear and admiration. Even though they sustain straight faces, she can tell that they're all enjoying this. She almost wishes _she_ could get in on the action...

Roxas runs towards Sora with a quick slash downwards, but Sora is able to guard. Roxas hurdles over Sora and delivers a swipe of his blade—Sora evades with a leap. Roxas clashes Keyblades with him, propelling Sora higher.

Roxas leaps into the air as Sora bends his body backwards and the two collide Keyblades once again.

Riku blasts his Dark Aura at Axel, though he is able to parry each attempt. Axel leaps into the air and catches an oncoming Xion, spinning her in midair before hurling her towards Riku like a boomerang.

She uses both feet to kick Riku in the stomach and knocks him into Ventus. Xion lands with a flip and sends a burst of Fira, followed by a shot of Thundara.

Ventus deflects the Fira, but the two aren't quick enough to avoid the Thundara blast. Riku growls under his breath before spinning back to his feet and landing with a strong whiplash that sends a gush of wind in their direction.

With the two blinded in the mist, Riku and Ventus take advantage and rush them. Riku scuffles with Xion, before Sora bounces off her shoulders, using enough force to knock her back. Roxas then leaps over them in pursuit of Sora.

Roxas catches Sora's leg midair and slams him into the ground.

"Urgh!" Sora yelps.

Roxas lands, surrounded by beacons of light. He elevates into the air, before sending off a flurry of blue spheres towards Sora from the energy gathered in his hand. "Come on!"

Sora dodge rolls, flips, and leaps over obstacles to dodge them. At last, when Roxas finishes his deadly attack, Sora swiftly rolls over to him, jumps into the air and delivers three deadly bashes before landing on the ground and back swiping him as the finisher. "Take _this!_ "

Roxas crashes into Xion and the two nearly tumble into Axel, who leaps over them in time. But when Axel looks ahead, Sora is already two feet in front of him, ready to attack.

Axel doesn't have enough time to react and feels the full brunt of Sora's wrath. In a move he calls Firaga Burst, Sora points his Keyblade up towards the ceiling and summons a large fireball overhead that unleashes smaller orbs of fire, pelting any and all of his opponents.

Xion is one of the few who are knocked back from of this attack, and as soon as Sora finishes, she sneaks up behind him and attempts to deliver a strong blow, but Sora flips out of the way.

Xion leaps into the air and performs her very own shotlock, Bubble Blaster, where she fires multiple shots of compressed water. Sora guards himself, but it's not enough and he's knocked back into the air.

As he falls, Axel leaps and grabs Sora by the torso, does a quick flip, and tosses him back towards Xion. She spin-kicks Sora to the side.

Ventus catches Sora and gently puts him down on the ground for him to catch a breather. He turns back around to find Axel and Xion both lunging towards him, Keyblades ready.

Ventus smirks and spins his Wayward Wind into a quick session of Aeroga, knocking them both back quickly. In a move he likes to call Faith, Ven points his Keyblade towards the ceiling and summons pillars of light to encircle him, before expelling them towards his opponents.

Both Axel and Xion get hit, but Axel retaliates with his own shotlock, Flame Salvo. Riku protects Ventus with a dark shield.

Roxas kicks Riku from the side before slashing away at his brother. Roxas' inner aggression brews in the gurgling darkness of his heart. If only his father were here to watch him finally outshine his precious golden child.

Ventus notices his aggression and refuses to fight back, he only blocks and dodges any of Roxas' attempts.

Sora saves Ventus with a sudden hack and slash of his Kingdom Key from behind Roxas. Sora is unaware of an incoming Xion right behind him, but Riku jumps in front of her and smacks her away with a swing of his Keyblade.

Sora and Riku, now back-to-back, smirk as if in on an inside joke.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Sora clenches a fist. "No problem. Let's do it!"

They notice Axel, Roxas, and Xion incoming and the two retaliate with a flashy series of combos. "Outta my way!" Riku chants.

The two take a momentary breather and step back, but maintain levitation.

"Is that all you got?" Riku asks sarcastically.

The two best friends execute a series of quick jabs on the trio, before zipping back to deliver blasts of dark aura, then quickly return to quick jabs.

They step back again. "I'll take 'em," says Riku.

The two go back-to-back, spinning in the air as they swing their Keyblades in a sequence of long-range slashes; they even summon Master Hearts where large ethereal blades spiral around them and attack the poor guys that got themselves trapped in this deadly onslaught.

"Let's go!" Sora yells.

"You're gonna lose it all!" Riku shouts, as the two toss up their Keyblades into the air, firing beams of light and dark energy, delivering heavy damage to their opponents, finalizing in burst of light.

The two catch their Keyblades and bump fists.

"I bet you liked that!" Sora mocks.

"Time's up!"

"Enough!" shouts a voice that demands attention.

They all freeze to spot a figure lunge out of the main doorway with Keyblade in hand, the Master's Defender, and slams into the ground, sending out a shockwave of light energy, knocking every student back a few.

Kairi covers her eyes before looking out into the battlefield as the dust settles. In the middle of the lobby, a man hunched over slowly rises. He wears a white, red lined haori along with a short hakama down to his ankles, and black and gold armored boots. Under his haori, he wears a navy blue shirt with a large X pattern displayed on the front. His face adorns painfully vivid battle scars over his right eye and left cheek.

He looks at the students with a stern gaze. "Now," he says. "Are we done here?"

The students all look at each other, silent as the grave, before they all (save Roxas) simultaneously erupt with laughter. Despite the animosity displayed beforehand, the big showdown was all in good fun.

They all stand up or help each other to their feet, dusting themselves off, still laughing from this crazy start to the school year. They even praise each other on some of their moves.

Roxas huffs on his bangs. A hand extends itself to him and he looks up to find a chipper Sora smiling down at him, as if they were giving it their all in beating each other to a pulp just a second ago.

"That was fun." He chuckles. "You were great out there."

Roxas knocks Sora's hand away and helps himself up, before dusting his pants and walking over to a corner, leaving to Sora scratch his head.

Axel nudges the stoic austere man. "Master Eraqus! Did'ja miss your best friend Axel over the summer?"

Master Eraqus gives him a dull look. "I was simply yearning to see you again, Fujiwara." The students all gather around him. "Well, now that you have made a mess of a place, I guess this is the perfect time."

He notices Kairi tiptoeing out the door.

"You there," he calls out.

Kairi freezes and turns around slowly. "M-M-M-Me?"

"Yes, you. Come here."

Kairi inches over with the rest of the group. What did she do? She was just an innocent spectator.

"That was an historical start to the year. However, due to your careless and reckless behavior, the headmaster would like to see each and every one of you in his office—immediately."

The group lets out a collective gulp.

"Well, this oughta be interesting," says Axel.

* * *

 **AN: Hola bananas. Ugghhh, the length of this chapter disgusts me. I really don't like making such long chapters because I understand that it's a handful to read, but I really hope the length hasn't turned you guys off too much! I tried making the paragraphs shorter so that it doesn't feel like too much of a chore to get through. The sad thing is that even when I edited, I took off 600 words and it was still at 7,000.**

 **Much love and thanks to Sinful Serenata, The Fool's Arcana, Mickey12315, Theysharethesamesky, and Spiderfan626, Anuibis Cloudly, and attack on kronos for either reviewing, faving, or following.**

 **Also, R.I.P to Prince who sadly passed away a few days ago on 4/21/16 :'( one of my childhood inspirations to try a career in music.**

 **Please, if you could so kindly leave a review, that would be appreciated so much! :D What did you think of the big action sequence?**

 **#bananasquad**


	4. Group Therapy

**Group Therapy**

Ten minutes ago...

The headmaster loves sea-salt ice cream.

In the center of his office is a desk in front of a wall made completely out of glass, allowing the sun privilege as the main source of illumination. On the left wall is a shelf full of books, and on the right, there seems to be a portrait of the headmaster himself in a studious profile. Vases full of distinct and vibrant bouquets sit in the corners.

While he should be preparing for his lecture tomorrow, going over the rules and regulations for the new school year—he figures a quick ice cream bar won't hurt anybody. Sea-salt ice cream, his favorite; he hears the ocean washing up on the shore from his youth with every bite.

His door busts open, though he maintains composure and merely turns his head to the side. A woman with long, black hair wearing a navy blue button-down, black skirt, and black high heels is panting in his doorframe.

"You seem anxious, Ms. Lockhart."

"Gee, you think? You bet your long-haired ass I'm anxious! You were supposed to be in the lobby ten minutes ago to lead the students to their destinations and here you are, eating ice cream!"

"I'm sure they're all tired from their long flights that challenged their patience. I didn't want to overwhelm them with information as soon as they stepped foot in the building."

"Yeah? Well, that plan turned out fantastic, because now we have a bunch of students in the main lobby duking it out—on the first day!"

Ansem doesn't seem very fazed. "Is that so?"

Tifa marches over to his desk and taps away on his digital keyboard, bringing up a holographic image above of camera footage from the main lobby.

"Is this a live feed?" he asks.

"Yes, sir."

Fascinated, Ansem strokes his chin as he watches these young, underdeveloped warriors brawl in a chaotic, untidy aspirant mess. However, what piques his curiosity most is that what they lack in psychological enrichment, their physical skill goes far beyond that of an average group of freshmen and sophomores.

To her surprise, Ansem erupts with shameless laughter. She raises an eyebrow and desperately wishes to know what could possibly be so amusing about a bunch of snot-nosed brats tearing their lobby apart with nobody having the balls to put a stop to it.

She sighs while waiting for him to calm down.

"Oh, the potential." Ansem wipes away a tear. "Send in Master Eraqus to break them up and to bring them here. I want to see them. And I need you to go into our database and bring me the records of each and every one of them."

Tifa decides not to inquire his decision and nods accordingly. "Yes, sir."

Now...

Tifa Lockhart steps back inside of Ansem's office with a batch of documents tucked underneath her arm. As she expects, Ansem sits content at his desk, clasping his fingers while mulling over whatever philosophy of the day happens to be.

"Headmaster, I've brought the students you requested."

Ansem opens his eyes and grins, leaning back in his chair. "Well, bring one of them in."

Tifa opens the door to allow in the first victim of interrogation. After a moment, she realizes no one enters. Soon enough, a severely rigid redhead by the name of Kairi Moroboshi slips inside.

She takes a moment to study the foreign environment in a stir of awe and intimidation. Ansem grants the unfamiliar student, to her surprise, a gentle and mannerly smile. "Well, hello there."

"H-Hi..."

"Please, come in." He gestures her closer.

Kairi's gaze shifts to Tifa, whose indifferent yet fairly harsh exterior gives her enough incentive to scamper over to the seat at Ansem's desk.

The arm rests are nice and soft. Kairi has always had a thing for spinning chairs. Kairi resist the urge to perform a quick spin. "Weeeee!"

She stops to find both Ansem and Tifa staring with puzzled looks. Kairi fastens her hands together and tries her best to fight off the painful blush painting her round cheeks.

"S-S-Sorry."

Ansem shares a look with his colleague, but they shrug it off and proceed. Tifa hands over the files to Ansem as he slips on his reading glasses and flips through the thick, lengthy pages.

Okay...

The torturously awkward silence makes Kairi feel like she's about to explode into a million pieces at any given moment. Sweat trickles down her temple as she fidgets with her thumbs and clicks the heels of her converse shoes together, doing her best to keep her eyes on attached to the peach-colored carpet below.

Why in the world is she here, anyway? It wasn't like she was actually _involved_ in the fight. She was only an innocent bystander in awe of an exciting clash of egos. No harm, no foul.

She should have used the bathroom before being called in. Damn it, it feels like the Niagara Falls is tightly secured in her bladder. Should she ask to use it? If she breaks the silence, it might be even more awkward. What if they look at her like she's an idiot again? She's already embarrassed herself once in less than thirty seconds. Come on, Kairi, suck it up. Stop overthinking. Just ask. What's the harm in asking to use the restroom? Surely, they'd understand.

"Uh, can I—"

"Be quiet."

"O-Okay."

Ouch. Kairi can feel her dignity crack into a million pieces of mortifying regret and shame. Wonderful, she'll probably be mulling over that minor embarrassment for many weeks to come.

Ansem chuckles as he continues to skim the pages. "Oh, come now, Tifa. Don't be so hard on the poor girl. She's harmless."

Tifa places her hands on her hips. "My apologies, sir. It's just that I'm not very happy with this absolutely flawless start to the school year, that's all."

Kairi's shoulders tense up at this woman's bitter sarcasm. She really does need to lighten up—and this is coming from Kairi, of all people.

"What's the matter?" Ansem asks Kairi, catching her by surprise.

"Huh?"

"You seem nervous." He doesn't take his eyes off the fine print. "Relax. No need for such tension. I assure you, you're not in trouble. This is a friendly environment."

Well, that brings Kairi some relief. Though, they really need to work on their idea of a "friendly environment".

"Is something troubling you?" Ansem asks, still not taking his eyes off the pages.

"N-N-No, s-sir. I'm j-just—kinda new to these things..."

Ansem chortles. "Exchange with a headmaster?"

"N-No. Social interaction."

"I see. You'll grow out of that. Ah, here you are."

 **Name: Kairi Moroboshi**

 **Age: 14**

 **Date of Birth: May 15** **th**

 **Sex: Female**

 **Hometown: Radiant Garden**

 **Specialty: Magic**

 **Brief bio: Extremely shy, confidence issues**

"Kairi Moroboshi, am I correct?" Ansem asks, adjusting his glasses.

"Y-Yes, that's me." She raises a brow. "But, um, i-is it okay if I ask how you know that?"

"During your registration, your parents were instructed to give us any necessary information about their child so that we could tap it into our personal dataspace. We like to keep a record of any administrating students just in case we can be weary of any lost causes on our hands. I thought they would have already informed you of this?"

She shakes her head. "It's news to me."

"Well then, Miss Moroboshi, if you don't mind, we would like to ask you some questions. Just to get to know you better. Is that alright with you?"

"Um, y-yeah. Sure." It's not like she really has a choice in the matter, does she? Why ask for her approval at this point?

"You seem rather, to put it mildly, painfully socially inept and timid in the face of a civil atmosphere."

Gee, thanks for letting her down gently.

"It says here that you've been homeschooled ever since you only eight-years young. Care to elaborate?"

"I-I, um..." Kairi shifts her shoulders. "When I was little, even at an early age, i-it was pretty clear that I wasn't like the other kids at my school."

"How so?"

"I just wasn't interested in the same things they were into. While e-everyone else was out playing tag and having a good time at recess, I was always the freaky girl who sat b-by herself in the puddle of mud, making sludge deserts to serve my imaginary friends, as embarrassing as that is."

Ansem clasps his hands together. "I see..."

Tifa chuckles to herself. "Weirdo," she mutters under her breath, loud enough to reach Ansem's ear but fortunately not Kairi's. The headmaster bumps her on the shoulder.

"The o-other kids, they... they always picked on me, and I didn't have any friends. Even when I tried, i-it never worked out. In the end, I was just their punching bag. It only got worse when I first discovered my ability to use a Keyblade. So, Mommy pulled me out of public school and I took online classes for the next six years. I can probably count on both hands how many times I've actually been outside of my house in the past couple of months."

"Mhm." Ansem nods. "And yet, you've decided that for your freshman year of high school you'd come back to public school? Why is that?"

"For years, I've basically lived in my room. Those four walls... F-For a while, it was nice, not having anybody around to judge me or call me names or think I'm weird. I could create my own world—enjoy my own company. Mommy never judged me for who I am... but it's gotten lonely. I could only take loneliness for so long. I thought, maybe now I could finally find some friends. At least, someone who understands me."

"Hm." Ansem nods his head understandably. "And, is that the reason why you're here?"

"I'm here because I wanna be the greatest Keyblade Master of all-time!" Sora says with his usual, bright and optimistic smile.

 **Name: Sora Yoshinaga**

 **Age: 14**

 **Date of Birth: July 27** **th**

 **Sex: Male**

 **Hometown: Destiny Islands**

 **Specialty: Combo-based**

 **Brief bio: Cheerful, optimistic**

"That's some healthy confidence," Ansem compliments, now sitting across only from Sora. After Kairi left, Tifa sent in this diamond in the rough who strolled in with a bounce in his step. It's unusual, but refreshing for Ansem the Wise to meet a teenager with such an uplifting spirit.

Sora pounds his chest, a fistful of determination. "Hey, I've learned that others won't believe in you if you don't believe in yourself. Hard work pays off, and I'm willing and able to put in that kind of effort if it means I can be the best."

"...That's great, Sora," Tifa deadpans. "But you can sit back down now."

Noting that he stands triumphantly dorky on his chair, Sora rubs the back of his head with a sheepish smile and awkwardly sits back down. "Oh. Haha, sorry."

"Why are you so intent on being a Keyblade Master?" Ansem asks.

"Sorry for the lack of originality here, but great power, really does come with great responsibility. I don't wanna take what I have for granted. I wanna make good use of my gifts and maybe help protect the innocent." He shrugs. "And you know, it's not a bad way to get in good with the ladies."

Ansem chortles. "Is that all?"

Sora takes a moment to look at the crown pendant around his neck. "Well, let's just say, I've got an oath to keep to someone special. I told 'im that I'd do my best to make a difference in the world. It's a promise that I have to keep."

"And what might that promise be?"

"To live life to fullest by kicking butt with my abnormally-sized key and taking names," says Axel, who chews his bubblegum obnoxiously barbaric. "Quote me, motherfucker."

Tifa sighs and rubs her eyes with her index finger and thumb, already exhausted with his presence. "Language," she scolds.

On the contrary, Ansem smiles. "It's nice to have you back this year, Axel."

"I'm sure the pleasure is all yours."

 **Name: Axel Fujiwara**

 **Age: 15**

 **Date of Birth: June 3** **rd**

 **Sex: Male**

 **Hometown: Traverse Town**

 **Battle Style: Specializes in fire-based magic**

 **Brief bio: Narcissistic womanizer with a surprisingly high I.Q**

Tifa doesn't fail to notice Axel and his torturously tenacious staring, continuing to give his jaw quite the workout with his unnecessarily loud and brutal chewing. "Can I help you?"

"More like can _I_ help _you._ " His eyes trail down to her seductive and ginormous bust. "Two words: breast reduction. And you people get mad at us for having underage sex when you've got Ms. Lockhart here displaying the goods like Christina Hendricks."

Tifa rolls her eyes, though used to Axel indirectly or directly hitting on her. "I see you haven't changed at all since last year—unfortunately. You still got quite a mouth on you."

"I also have quite the tongue on me with God given talent and I'd like to show it to you some time. Up close and personal. In private."

"Wow," Tifa says, unimpressed.

"I saw the footage moments ago," Ansem says, changing the subject before Tifa blows a fuse. "I have to say, I'm rather impressed with how you've managed to control your fire potency over the summer. I was half-expecting you to blow up the school last year."

"Yeah, well, what can I say? I'm just your average savage. Say, can we move on to more important things? Like, you know, my dorm room arrangements?"

"Yes, Axel. I'm not exactly proud of bending school policies like this, but we really need that sponsorship if we're going to afford a field trip to Olympus this year."

"D'ahh, you'll get over it. It's just that after being forced into boarding school for the past two years, I'd like to make the most of my circumstance. Speaking of which, I should inform you of the hot tub parties on the weekend, mostly chicks, must be wearing either a bikini or a maximum of two articles of clothing—or no entry. That means you too, Ms. Lockhart. We're gonna need to stock up on food and drinks." Axel pats Ansem on the shoulder. "Don't worry, big guy—not the alcohol kind. Actually, no, screw that. Alcohol. You writin' this down, Marly?"

"Already noted, sir."

"...I feel like I'm being punk'd right now," says Tifa.

Ansem feels every crevice of his pride mercilessly crushed with having to swallow these trivial requests, but unless he can find another way to fund school activities, he really has no other choice.

"Your confidence is admirable in the worst way, young man," Ansem says.

"Thank you? Not too sure how I should take that. Hey, can I get like a sandwich or something? Pardon me, but yours truly is famished after the long trip."

"Any goals for this year?" Ansem asks, once again changing the subject.

"Same goal as it is every year, live life large and in charge, keep my boundaries unlimited and the engine running. It's an imperfect world, Mr. Wise, but I intend to make the most of it. So basically, Y.O.L.O."

"You don't believe in boundaries?"

"I believe in freedom, sir, the American way," Axel says, in a surprisingly serious tone. Of course, he can't keep a straight face for long. "Look, Obi-Wan Kenobi, life is a sweet privilege and you only get one shot at it. Gotta make the most of it while you still can before you're a lifeless carcass six feet below the surface."

Ansem smiles. "Is that what you truly believe?"

Axel shrugs. "I don't know, but I do know that I believe religiously in hot tub parties and two-piece bathing suits."

"Can't you ever be serious?" Tifa asks irritatingly.

"Serious? What's serious? Do you know what serious is, Marly?"

Before Marluxia can answer, Ansem interrupts. "You know, I've never believed in that saying, you only live once. It's actually quite a disturbed mindset to promote, replacing guidance and morals with troublesome endeavors—the excuse being that you only have one life and it should be spent indulging in recklessness to quench your thirst for a more stimulating lifestyle."

"Oh god," Axel groans. "Don't tell me you have a Tumblr page."

Ansem chuckles, clasping his hands together. "You only live once. Do you ever consider the consequences of such foolhardy values, Axel? This idea that freedom should be valued over peace despite we as a human race proving time and time again of our mistreatment—and even worse, our entitlement of such freedom. We constantly pit our sense of morality aside in favor of ignorant cravings for shallow ventures—power, status, and money, with the belief that those things will make our lives whole."

Axel hunches over with his fist settling beneath his jaw. To both Ansem and Tifa's surprise, he mulls in deep thought over Ansem's insights.

"Perhaps, we do only live once," Ansem continues. "Perhaps there isn't something as conveniently ideal as an afterlife awaiting us after our demise, but to use that as a misguided justification to repeat the same mistakes that we've grown accustomed to in an unprogressive, regressive cycle of contentment with our own flaws instead of using them as anchors to make sure we grow as individuals—I see it as a rather unhealthy outlook on the world. Would you agree?"

Axel gives Ansem a firm look, pondering the weight of his words and seems to have come to an epiphany.

"You know," Axel says. "I look at my own reflection... and I keep thinking to myself... I still don't have that sandwich."

Tifa smacks her forehead while Ansem sighs, though retaining a smile. He should have known better that getting through to someone like Axel won't be that easy. And of course, there's the inner struggle of whether he himself is even right in that regard.

"Well, since you seem to be firm with your outlooks, I have to ask, what do you plan on accomplishing here at Daybreak Academy?"

"None of your business," says Roxas. "I just needed to get out of my hometown for a while."

"And why is that?"

"Family issues. I'd like to leave it at that."

 **Name: Roxas Uchimiya**

 **Age: 14**

 **Date of Birth: February 19** **th**

 **Sex: Male**

 **Hometown: Twilight Town**

 **Battle style: Uses the elements of light and darkness**

 **Brief bio: Aloof, loner**

"Interesting, considering your brother is also attending."

"Who said I had a problem with my brother?"

Ansem smirks. "Judging by the footage, I'd say it's a fair hypothesis. The moment I saw you attack him, I sensed rage—a means of vengeance. If I didn't know any better, I'd be under the impression that there's something there that you aren't willing to admit to yourself just yet."

Roxas crosses his arms. "And you know everything, don't you?"

Ansem pouts, sitting back into his chair. "Fine, then. I understand that bloodline disdain isn't exactly easy to accept within your own heart. But keeping it bottled up inside, it only beckons the darkness. If you are content with being plunged into that darkness even further, then so be it—the choice is yours to bear."

Roxas thinks about it for a second. "Okay... I choose... to tell you to mind your own business."

Ansem and Tifa exchange a brief look of concern.

"Is there... anything that you're looking forward to doing at this school?"

"Murdering shit."

Ansem tugs on his collar. "Yes, well, we're only to, ahem, _exterminate_ creatures of the dark, and it seems that Ezekiel Fujiwara's defense mechanisms are keeping the realm of darkness at bay—"

"Then I'll murder shit at the Olympus Coliseum."

"No, no, you don't understand—"

"Can I murder you?"

"What? I-I—"

"Please stop asking me questions."

"Uh, fine."

What in the world is this one's problem? Even Tifa seems a little uncomfortable.

"Well, I have one more question, if you don't mind?" Ansem asks hesitantly.

Roxas sighs, rolling his eyes. "Fine."

"So, familial issues and a form of escapism, is that your central reason for enrolling here?"

"Yup, yup! Somebody's gotta keep an eye on that maniac," Xion says. "If I don't, who else will?"

 **Name: Xion Kisaragi**

 **Age: 14**

 **Date of Birth: November 10** **th**

 **Sex: Female**

 **Hometown: Traverse Town**

 **Battle style: Well-rounded combatant**

 **Brief bio: Upbeat, honest, highly talkative**

"He's been like a brother to me for years, so he's like family, but you don't understand the struggle of looking after someone like Axel," Xion says. "I feel like I'm his freakin' babysitter! He's rude, he's insensitive, he has no sense of manners, he's always getting us into trouble—come to think of it, why _do_ I hang out with him?"

"I see." Ansem strokes his chin. "I know that your mother works here as the physical education instructor, did that have no weight in your decision to hone your skills as a wielder of the Keyblade?"

Xion pouts. "Yeah, Mom kept pushing me to come here. She claims it's because she's so in love with the curriculum, but I think she just wants to keep an eye on me."

"It's understandable."

"But she's my _mom._ Oh my god, trust me, you don't know her like I know her. I don't know how she acts around here, but she cannot settle down for even a second! She's constantly moving around the house like a crack fiend and I can never just have a day with just peace and quiet. Have I ever told you about the time when she came busting into my room with a toolbox claiming she was going to reconstruct my room? It was three-thirty in the morning! And oh my god, she's always hounding over me, I feel like I can't catch a break, it's like she's alwayssuperworriedaboutmeandIcan'tcatchabreakwithherImeanIloveherofcourseshe'smymomandallandshe'salwaysputtingmefirstbutImeanIneedsomespace,youknowwhatImean? YouknowwhatImean,it'slikeaneverendingcycleand," she takes a deep breath, "Ijustwantsomespaceyouknowandnowit'slikeIcan'tevengetthatatschoolanymoreandohmygoodnessyoushouldseehowshetalksshejustgoesonandonandonandonandonandonand—"

Ansem cuts her off with a nervous chuckle. "Like mother like daughter, I suppose." Tifa only shakes her head. "Now, please, Xion—could you be so kind as to slow down? You don't have to talk so fast."

"I'mtalkingfast?OhmygoodnessI'msorryfortalkingfastit'sjustsomethingIkindadowhenI'mnervousandit'shardformetonoticeit,youknow? I'mjustreallyreallyreallysorryforbeingrecklessinthelobbylikeIshouldtotallyknowbetterthanthatbutmaybeIhangoutwiththatdamnAxeltoomuch. HaveItoldyouaboutthetimewhenhebrokeintomy—"

"O-Okay, that's enough, Xion." Ansem sighs as he turns to Tifa. "Well, I think we're done here."

* * *

They all idle in the waiting room right outside of the headmaster's office. It's an average-sized circular room with chairs spread out against the walls. Friends sit with friends and make efforts to create gaps between any strangers. Sora chats away with Riku, the same for Ventus, Roxas, and Axel.

All except for Kairi, who remains the only one isolated as she sits cross-legged in her chair, drawing invisible circles on the arm rest.

Glancing up from her lonesome, she briefly sneaks a peek at the brunet sitting with his silver-haired friend right across from her. They chuckle amongst each other without a care in the world, and the brunet in particular carries a lively spirit. Not to mention, but to also totally mention that he's really cute.

Something just makes him stick out—at least to Kairi. Those bright, blue eyes of his are just so genuine. It almost makes Kairi fail to notice that she looks at his eyes as he looks right back at hers. Sora had caught her staring and now smiles with a wave.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, and furthermore—shit!

Kairi turns the other way and uses every fiber in her being to wage an internal war against the blush scorching through her cheeks. Her eyes dart in every direction imaginable. How could she have let him catch her? Now he totally thinks she's a creep.

"I'd ship it."

"GYAHH!" Kairi nearly has a heart attack and jumps out of her own skin to find Xion miraculously sitting next to her. Wasn't she just in the headmaster's office?

"Mr. Shima, you're up," Tifa announces. Riku nods and parts ways with his buddy temporarily to have a chat with Ansem.

Kairi recovers and places a hand on her chest. "Ship w-what?"

"Aww, don't play dumb. You and the spiky dude. I'd totally make fanfictions out of that. Maybe even some erotica. I don't know, you two just _look_ like you oughta make babies or something."

The blush deepens, but Kairi decides to switch topics. "W-Where'd you come from?"

"You must've been so enamored with Prince Perfect over there that you didn't notice me sit right next to you."

"O-Oh..." Kairi twiddles her thumbs. Just breathe, Kairi.

"So..."

"So?"

"I'm waiting."

Kairi waits for elaboration, only to receive zilch. "F-For what?"

"For you to go talk to him, you silly chocobo. Get over there, and show 'im what you're made of! Look, he's even sitting all by himself. This is your perfect opportunity."

"O-O-Oh n-no, I-I could never—"

"Sure you can! All you gotta do, is walk over there and be all like, 'when you walk away, you don't hear me say, please, oh baby, don't go.' And then he'll be all like, 'I can show you the world, shining, shimmering, splendid."

Kairi hugs her knees while holding a perplexed gaze towards Xion. "Uh, I'm not sure if it works like that..."

"The point is I've never believed in the gender stereotype of the dude always having to come talk to the girl. If you like him, go get 'im!"

But part of the fun is the mystery of whether or not the guy actually likes you back. Kairi isn't sure if she wants to take a chance on being shot down and forever be a prisoner to her own insecurities. She'd rather just wait to see if he returns the feeling. Hell, Kairi isn't even sure if she can confirm that she likes him. He's cute, sure, but is she really capable of handling a relationship?

"I-I don't know... do you think he'd really want to even talk to me?"

"Of course!" Kairi remains unsure. "You have a vagina. That's all the incentive a guy needs sometimes." Xion chuckles, placing a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "I'm kidding. Now, tell me what I should call you?"

Kairi sighs contently. Does she just naturally attract outgoing ravens? "I'm K-Kairi."

Xion points to herself. "Xion."

"Why talk to me, of all people? Shouldn't you be with..." Kairi looks over at Axel, Ventus, and Roxas on the left side of the room, "...you know, your friends?"

"What, those goofballs? Please. They'll be fine without me for two seconds." She then remembers Axel. "Hopefully... You just kinda worried me, sitting here all by yourself. You should lighten up, okay?"

"Been telling myself the same thing for years now."

"Aww, no worries. I'm a Kisaragi, and we're notorious for bringing people out of their shells. Listen, if you're gonna be hangin' around me, you gotta learn to let loose! Got it?" Xion gives her a stern, but playful finger.

Kairi nods. "Gotcha."

They stop to find Riku being shoved out of Ansem's office by a noticeably miffed Tifa Lockhart.

"Jeez, I'm sorry! All I'm saying is, I'll be legal in about three years or so—"

"Shut it. Not gonna happen." Tifa sighs. It isn't easy having huge boobs in an environment constantly brimming with horny teenage boys. She considers sending out job applications.

Ansem, with his arms behind his back, steps out of his office. "Well, now, that was certainly...interesting. I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here specifically. I must say, I was quite impressed with your abilities, supremely advanced beyond my expectations for a group that mostly consists of freshmen and sophomores."

"As flattering as that sentiment is, Mister," Axel says though his chomping, "what exactly is so different about us that isn't in any other random kid in this school?" Axel blows a bubble.

Ansem smirks. "I'll save that for another time." The students all share equally befuddled expressions. "Until then, it'd be wise for you to get a good glimpse of your new home." He turns to Tifa. "Did you call them in?"

Tifa looks at her watch. "They should be here right about—"

The double doors open, and in walks a tall young man with long, messy chestnut hair extended to the base of his neck, with blue eyes and tanned skin. Alongside him is a young woman with deep, blue eyes and shortcut blue hair.

"—now," Tifa finishes smoothly.

"What'd we miss?" the young man asks.

"Hey!" Ventus scurries over to the familiar faces and they share a brief group hug. "I missed you guys!"

"Ven—it's good to see you, man!" Terra says as he envelopes him into a noogie.

Upon sight, Axel's bubble pops. He licks his lips and wets the inside of his mouth at the blue-eyed broad, a.k.a, his next target. "Mr. Wise. Context, please?"

"Yes, of course," Ansem says. "I'd like for you all to meet Terra and Aqua. You could say that they're our senior star pupils. I've called upon them to show you to your rooms and give you the grand tour."

Axel scans over her body with a devilish smirk. "I'll be havin' a grand tour, alright."

Roxas gives Axel a monotone expression. "Dude."

"Now, since it's the first day and I'm sure you all have endured laborious journeys to arrive here in the town, we like to give our students a couple of days to unwind a bit."

The students like the sound of that.

"Because afterwards," Ansem continues, "be assured that your leisure time will be skewed."

"Then we better get moving." Terra grins.

The students all gather their items and follow Terra and Aqua out the door.

Tifa crosses her arms as she trails behind her boss back into his office. "As much as I hate to admit it, Axel had a good point. Why are you so fascinated with these students in particular? I mean, they trashed the lobby. How does that make them so special?"

Ansem laughs, taking a seat at his desk. "Perhaps you weren't paying as close attention to the footage."

Tifa waits for clarification, but it doesn't come. One thing annoying about the headmaster is his vagueness, but she shrugs it off. She trusts that he knows what he's doing.

When Tifa turns around, she stops when Ansem speaks up.

"They could be just what I need to help extinguish whatever darkness shifts in the shadows amongst our very own."

Tifa, wide-eyed, looks back at Ansem—though, his eyes are closed. Despite the cheesy line, she understands. "Darkness?"

"Tifa, I feel that a great darkness is upon us."

"You do?"

"I've suspected a treacherous spirit among us for a while now and I'm becoming desperate to find out who this could actually be. So, I'm going to need you to do a little recon."

"What do you mean?"

He gives her a terrifyingly dark grimace, making her tremble if only for an instant.

"Someone in this very building is a traitor."

* * *

 **Trying to stay relatively consistent with the updating for this one. I'm sorry that this was an uneventful chapter, I was actually going to have a lot more in this but of course I reached like 5,000 words with this when my goal was at most 2,000 for the whole interviewing section T.T**

 **So for the beginning with the interviews, let me know if you think that it's confusing! I asked some people to look this chapter over and they both said that the beginning was confusing because of the quick transitions to each character, but I really didn't know how else to do that scene and I felt like it was too important to get rid of. I didn't want to shift between the waiting room and Ansem's office constantly and say "Kairi walked out of the room and sat down, then Sora got up and went inside and took a seat and yada yada..." I thought that'd be tedious and slow-paced. But if you were confused, they were all just one-on-one interviews with each character with Ansem and I just used one of his questions to lead into the next character. The profile is supposed to signify that now he's only speaking to THIS person now. If it's really that confusing, please let me know down below and I'll try my best to fix it up or maybe redo that whole part entirely. It's really what is worrying me the most about this chapter.**

 **Blegh, I seriously need a banana...**

 **But much love and thanks to Sinful Serenata and Theysharethesamesky for looking this one over for me!**

 **I'm also sorry if this chapter seems a bit uneventful. I really didn't want this story to have such slow pacing, but for some reason every time I'm writing their dialogue it's like they say more than I want them to XD but I always like to listen to my characters and so they kind of just wrote themselves in a way.**

 **Gah, this whole chapter really has me worried, so please, if you could be so kind as to leave a review, that would be highly appreciated :)**

 **#bananasquad**


	5. Discipline

**Discipline**

Roxas grumbles, slamming his broom onto the marble floor below. "Worst. Tour. Ever!"

Indeed, it was. The "grand tour" that Headmaster Ansem spoke of earlier was nothing but a diminutive glance at an underwhelming percentage of this massive fortress for an academy.

Terra and Aqua led the group down lavish hallways with pristine marble floors and extravagantly tinted reflections, trophies and awards encased in glass bordering, quite often there would be a miniature chandelier serving as the main source of lighting, and the proud statues of lions could be spotted at least once on every floor.

But that was about it. All of the _cool_ areas were off-limits to them for the whole week since they trashed the main lobby. And as further punishment, all six of them were immediately assigned to clean up the mess they made before getting to relax in their dorms. However, all seven ended up working on it anyway.

"I think it's something we grown-ups like to call... discipline," Ansem told them a few hours ago with a sly smirk.

In all fairness, it serves them right. It was the least they could do after so carelessly endangering the entire school's collateral support system, but to keep nearly seventy percent of their school hidden from them until further notice seems a bit harsh.

"Can someone put a sock in him already?" Axel groans as he holds the dustpan for his assistant, Marluxia, to sweep up any leftover powdered sand shavings. "He's been on his 'bitch and moan' mode for the past three hours. We only got another thirty minutes to go, Captain Emo, so get over it."

Roxas snarls as pushes up his sleeves and marches towards Axel with two clenched fists, but Ventus steps in front of him and gently holds him back. "Hey! Slow down, brother. It's no big deal. What's with you, anyway? You're usually not _this_ tense."

Roxas shoves his brother out of the way and gets back to work.

Tifa watches over them on the steps that lead to the second floor. She sits in a folding chair with a magazine, slurping from a bendy straw. "Alright, you little devil spawns, enough with the chit-chat. Hurry it up!"

Sora sends her a brief glance as he mops past Riku. "Man, how come Lady Sunshine has to chaperone us again?"

"Because we defiled the school lobby and thus almost made the entire ceiling collapse due to our reckless and inconsiderate behavior endangering the safety of our fellow classmates when we weren't being watched properly in the first place," Riku deadpans.

"Oh. Good point."

"Hey! I don't hear enough mops mopping!" Tifa yells.

Sora and Riku begrudgingly proceed with their mopping duties.

Roxas sighs as he pops the crumpled fractures of rubble back into its position into the damaged peach-colored wall. This was supposed to be his chance to finally show he's on the same level as his brother, and here he is, on cleaning duty, and basically grounded for a week.

Roxas wouldn't mind so much if his brother hadn't gotten off easy with only a two-day punishment since apparently he was trying to "keep the peace" rather than participate in the altercation. Roxas didn't believe it for one measly second—it was probably because Ventus qualified for the advanced sessions with Master Eraqus, and they want to keep a closer eye on his potential. That damn Ventus.

Luckily, he probably won't be seeing much of his twin brother throughout the year, although that Sora Yoshinaga does bear an uncanny resemblance to him in terms of personality and charisma. God forbid he end up sticking around him for months.

"You certainly seem like a bucket full of rainbows and butterflies."

Roxas pauses and looks to his left to face Xion, who sports her trademark grin as she leans on her broomstick. "Sorry. There's just been a lot of thoughts swimming through my mind for the past few hours."

"Sounds like you've been having quite the, _brainwash_ going on in there. Ha! You get it?" Roxas gives her a weird, blank look. "Uh, sorry. Bad pun. It's kinda my thing."

Roxas smiles awkwardly as he fits the last chunk into the wall. He steps back and summons his Keyblade, giving it a quick whiplash and unleashes a few crystals of Blizzara to hold the pieces together before attaching the adhesive.

Xion raises an eyebrow. "You okay?"

"Uh, that's not exactly the word I would use."

"You ought to have more confidence. If I told you that you're pretty cute, and that you're wasting your potential by acting like this 'badass loner' archetype, would that help _uplift_ your spirits at all? I'm just trying to _elevate_ the mood here."

He lets out a joyless chuckle. The compliment might have been a bit more meaningful if his appearance were his and his only. The fact that he shares his appearance with someone else doesn't really make him feel special. "I appreciate the sentiment."

"Something's on your mind." She gives him a sympathetic pout. "You wanna talk about it?"

Roxas squints. "You don't even know who I am."

"That's why they call it 'communication'." She chuckles. "You might wanna give it a try one day. You'll be better off."

He gives her a dark glare. "Look, you seem nice and all, but you're a little bothersome. I don't like people snooping into my personal life when it's not really any of their business in the first place. So, I don't really know what you're trying to accomplish, but you can stop right there. You're way too nosy for your own good."

"I guess you could say that I really like to, _sniff_ my way into your business because I wanna get to know you better!" He presents her with yet another dull expression. "Eh? Nothing?"

Sighing, Roxas picks up his tools and moves to another location to work.

"I so need to invest in better material," Xion mutters to herself.

While sweeping into his dustpan, Sora feels a gentle bump from behind.

"O-O-Oh, s-sorry!" Kairi stutters, nearly dropping her broom. "S-Sorry, that was on me, I-I was totally not even looking where I was going!"

He places a hand on her shoulder, making her shiver slightly for a moment at his touch. Sora directs a nervous smile at her and retrieves his hand to rub the back of his head. "Hey, uh, don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

"Oh... o-o-okay..." Kairi avoids eye contact and tucks some hair behind her ear.

Sora tries his best to keep her comfortable and act natural. "I think it's pretty neat that you would help us out even though you don't really have to. It's not like you got in trouble for trashing the main lobby like the rest of us."

"Oh, um, i-it's no big deal," she says with an embarrassed chuckle. "I know I don't really have to help but it's not like I have anything better to do. And you guys looked like you could use all the help you can get, so..."

Sora smiles. "It's not every day you meet people who put others before themselves. I admire that."

Kairi blushes, hiding behind her broom. "I-It's nothing, really."

"Hey, I never caught your name. I'm Sora—Sora Yoshinaga! And you are...?"

"K-Kairi!" She blurts. "K-Kairi Moroboshi."

"Kairi," Sora repeats, crossing his arms and closing his eyes for a moment. He then sports a wide grin. "Shouldn't be too hard to remember! That's a pretty name."

Kairi isn't sure what's worse—blushing approximately three hundred to two thousand times per day or not being able to have any control over it. "Th-Th-Thank you, I uh... I think Sora is a really cool name too! Two-syllable names are radical!"

"Oh, really? Uh, thanks! Haha."

"Hey, lovebirds!" Tifa shouts. "Flirt on your own time! _My_ time is valuable, and you're gonna make good use of it! So get back to it!"

Sora sends her a scowl while Kairi internally kicks her own ass. "Got it, oh patient one," Sora mumbles. He continues on with his duties.

Once he's out of earshot, Kairi uses a fist to knock herself in the forehead. "Two-syllable names are radical?" she whispers to herself. "Seriously, Kairi? What is this, the nineties? Ugh!"

Riku bumps Sora on the shoulder with a suggestive smirk as he passes him by.

"What?" Sora asks dumbly, feigning ignorance. Riku shakes his head.

"Damn it," Tifa says to herself. "You're tellin' me I had to miss 'The Scoop' to play babysitter and watch a bunch of pubescent demon offspring bred from the daycare center of hell discover their own hormones?"

If you couldn't already tell, Tifa isn't the biggest fan of teenagers.

As Tifa mindlessly skims her eyes over an article in her magazine, she thinks back to what Headmaster Ansem told informed her a few hours ago. It's been on her mind all day and it's still yet to really sink in.

Five Hours Ago...

"They could be just what I need to extinguish whatever darkness shifts in the shadows amongst our very own."

"Darkness?"

"Tifa, I feel that a great darkness is upon us."

"You do?"

"I've suspected a treacherous spirit among us for a while now and I'm becoming desperate to find out who this could actually be. So, I'm going to need you to do a little recon."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone in this very building is a traitor."

"Enough with the unclear vague bullshit, old man! Just tell me what's going on!"

Ansem gives her a quick glare as he types on his holographic keyboard. "Your practice of equanimity is astounding, Tifa. Ever consider becoming a monk over in The Land of Dragons?"

"Aw, shut up. Just tell me what you got." Tifa walks behind his desk and leans against his chair.

"Might I suggest you take up yoga sessions?" Ansem jests. Tifa rolls her eyes. "Give me a moment. I'm retrieving the confidential compulsory synopsis on all private Academy intel."

"You could have just said _classified files_ , you know."

"Anyway," Ansem says after being so rudely interrupted. "Someone must have snuck into my office, overrode my security cameras, and downloaded forbidden information about the school onto a USB drive. They probably would have gotten away with it too, if they hadn't so foolishly left the alert signifying the copying process finished completely open for me to see. Either they are an uncoordinated imbecile, or imprudently arrogant."

Tifa rubs her chin. "With that kind of knowledge, they could..." Her eyes widen at the realization and she looks down to find the headmaster giving her a grim expression of mutual understanding.

"But... no way."

"I'm afraid so," Ansem says. "And I'm sure it wasn't you, since I stumbled upon this misfortune after you and I had returned from recruiting."

"But it's not possible. We're fine, as long as the realm of darkness and the realm of light remain separate."

Ansem doesn't respond and only clasps his fingers.

"R-Right?" Tifa asks again, hesitantly.

"Perhaps, someone must wish to merge both realms together and bring about an uncontrollable chaos yet again."

Tifa pinches the bridge of her nose. "Damn it. Damn it! How could you be so careless?!"

Ansem sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Yes, I am to blame. Forgive me for my ignorance, and foolish belief to trust those who work under my name so flippantly. I speak of fools as if I'm not one to bear the characteristics, and for that... I am sorry."

Tifa bites her lip. "Uh, no—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell—"

"It's quite alright." He waves it off. "Despite the fact that you and I were together at the time of this incident, you could very well be conspiring with our potential renegade."

She gives him a dirty look. "Are you calling me a traitor? Why, of all the—"

"However," Ansem interrupts, "in that same foolishness that I bear, I have chosen to trust your innocence."

"Oh..."

"Though, at this point, I really don't have another option. I do hope you don't make me regret that decision." He shoots her brief, but leery eyes.

"Hmph." Tifa crosses her arms. "Sounds like a pretty hesitant form of trust if ya ask me."

"Call it cautious," he clarifies. "You can't blame me for that."

Tifa sighs. "No. I guess I can't."

Ansem rises to his feet, keeping his hands firmly placed on his desk. "We must find this spy and apprehend him, or her, immediately. We can't let anyone know about the hidden cell in the lower end of the basement."

"Don't worry, sir. This worries me just as much as it worries you. I swear, I'm gonna find this lunatic, and when I do, I'm gonna kick their ass. And that's a promise."

Present...

It's eerie knowing that a traitor walks amongst them with a nonchalant facade. Tifa won't rest until she's found the culprit. For all she knows, it could have been anyone of these brats. That's what makes it so hard—it could be anyone at all, but there's no real way for her to know. Where does she even start to look?

Looking over the lobby, it's been spruced up pretty nicely. A few minor dents remain located on the various walls, but it's nothing too major. The columns are sturdy and the tan marble floor and carpet practically looks new. Anything else that needs fixing will have to be done by professionals.

Tifa sighs, closing her magazine and tossing her cup into a nearby trashcan. "Alright, you barbaric delinquents of adolescence, you've done enough for the evening. Good job."

Riku turns to Xion. "Dude, did she just congratulate us?

"Oh, finally!" Axel says, shoving his tools into Marluxia's arms. "Guess what somebody just found out _he's_ not doing for the rest of his life?"

"Cleaning as a janitor?" Ven inquires.

"No. Working." Axel tosses off his gloves and sets them on Marluxia's head, which causes the assistant to glare his way, but ultimately accepts, mostly because she has no choice.

The students all line up before Tifa.

"I have your locker numbers and codes here." Tifa hands out a sheet of paper to each of them individually as she walks down their line. "Open up your lockers and inside, you will find another piece of paper and a key card that details the locations of your new rooms and the passcode you will need to tap into the door's apparatus. This is to prevent students from stealing from others rooms, but if you give someone else your passcode and they decide to betray your trust, it's on you."

"I don't know what you just said," Axel says, "but to me it sounded like you wanted to make out in my new luxurious dorm room with nothing too major but a hot tub, fifty-inch flat screen TV, premium Netflix action with advanced access to all of the latest movies; all I'm missing is the chill part." Axel winks.

Tifa stares with a monotone expression.

"Another time, then." He makes his way up the stairs to find his locker.

Sora immediately approaches Riku. "Hey, so what room you got?"

"Room #118. You?"

Sora looks at his number and sighs. "Does it matter? We don't have the same room, anyway."

Riku places a hand on his shoulder and offers a smile. "Come on, cheer up. Whether we're in the same room or not, we'll be on the same floor. If you ever need me, I'll be here."

Sora nods. "That's a promise!" He pauses for a moment when Xion takes his paper out of his hand.

"Thank you." She reads it over. "Nope. We're not roommates." She hands it back to a confused Sora and takes Riku's as well. "Darn, neither are we. Oh man, I was hoping to get partnered up with somebody I know."

"That reminds me," Tifa says, walking up the group. "Roommates are gender sensitive. I would have figured that it was obvious, but if you sneak into the dorm of someone of the opposite sex after ten 'o clock, there'll be consequences."

"Oh, duh! Thanks, Tifa!" Xion spots Kairi modestly heading into the next room all by herself with her bag strapped around her shoulder. Xion bodes Sora and Riku a temporary farewell before racing next to the timid little redhead. "There you are, you sneaky little ninja! I was just looking for you!"

Kairi blinks. "You were?"

"Sure! I said you were gonna be hangin' around me more often, didn't I?" She notices Kairi's paper and snatches it up. "Lemme see that! Hey, well would you look at that! Looks like we're gonna be roommates too! Convenient, huh? It must be fate! It's almost like somebody is just, I dunno, writing the story for us or something!"

Kairi blinks again, but transitions into a smile as her heart warms with relief. She was afraid of being paired up with a complete stranger, but she's happy that it just so happens to be Xion. No severely awkward barriers she'll have to break down. "Well, I'm glad!"

 **Room #108 E-M, Floor 5**

What a long, tedious day.

Tired and exhausted from all the work he put in to sprucing up that lobby, Roxas stands in front his new room. He holds a sheet of paper presenting his room number and code.

He crumples the paper in his hand and sighs. He also has his sparkly new authentication card and swipes it over the capsule lock on the door, making the red light blink and shift to green. He enters his seven-digit code and the door unlocks.

Come on, Roxas, cheer up. Maybe this won't be so bad. At least he won't have to share a room with that happy-go-lucky, flawless brother of his destined for greatness and a promising future. Maybe this time he can finally have some peace and quiet; maybe even form a genuine bond and connection with someone like him who is also doomed for a shitty life experience with problems, dilemmas, and drama—you know, like normal people.

Maybe for once, he should step into this situation on a more positive note, instead of just expecting the worst all of the time. What's the worst that can happen?

Roxas opens the door and—

Oh no.

No.

No.

No.

 _No._

No!

Sora looks behind with a momentary look of surprise before settling into a warm, friendly smile. "Heya!"

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It seems that Sora is in the middle of unpacking his items on one of the twin beds. That can only mean that this is his new roommate for the next nine months.

It's the old Roxas luck, isn't it? Just when he thought he'd be free from Mary Sue siblings bent on destroying his self-esteem in the form of a neglectful father, he ends up with a roommate who's basically the exact same, except with an extra layer of annoying.

"I'm glad it just so happened to be you! I figured it would've been with somebody I wasn't familiar with at all. Convenient, huh?"

Roxas groans as he drags his luggage inside, not even looking at his chipper new roommate, and hauls it onto his bed.

Sora scratches his head. "Hey, you alright?"

"Peachy."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Roxas plops onto his bed and clutches the sheets.

Sora rubs his chin before snapping his finger as an idea strikes him. "I know what'll cheer you up!" He pulls out a pack of cards from his back pocket. "I'll show you a magic trick!"

Someone, please, kill Roxas now. Just strike him down with a bolt of lightning for all he cares. "N-No, Sora, I really don't—"

"Aw, come on! You can't mope around like this all year." Sora lifts his pathetically limp and exhausted roommate into a sloppy sitting position. He stares at Sora with gruesome eyes, but the brunet doesn't seem to mind too much. He takes Roxas by the cheeks and stretches them into a mushed up smiley face. "Turn that frown upside down!"

As soon as he lets go, however, his face sinks back into its previous cynical gloom. Sora extends a set of six cards at Roxas.

"Now pick a card, any card!"

Roxas lets out a much needed sigh. This is going to be a painful year.

 **Room #118 E-M, Floor 5**

Riku raises an eyebrow at his, to say the least, unusual door to his dorm. It has a sign that reads:

" **For parties, you must be wearing two articles of clothing at most or no entry. This rule only applies to you if you have been blessed with a vagina."**

He hesitates before opening the door, a little fearful of what might be beyond it.

Riku decides to not think much of it and swipes his key card and the light switches from red to green. He enters his seven-digit code, listens for the click, and pushes the door open.

Expecting very little, Riku jumps out of his own skin at what he actually sees.

The room is much, much bigger than what he was expecting; it's practically the size of an entire apartment. There's at least three TVs, an obnoxiously large entertainment system, and is that a hot tub in the short distance?

But that isn't what's most surprising. Not even in the slightest. What really has Riku's jaw ajar at the moment, is the sum of about thirty people in his room on a dance floor as neon lights flash repeatedly in the mostly dark-lit room, a disco ball spinning above, and the music blaring from the entertainment system all the way in the back.

Riku drops his bags and squeezes his way through all the mindless, somewhat tipsy partiers in his apparent dorm. At one point, two girls even pull him aside and attempt to twerk and grind on him. Riku politely rejects their offers, especially once he sees a familiar face.

He spots Axel sitting in the hot tub, his arms resting back against the side of the pool with a glass of martini in one hand, surrounded by a circle of unfamiliar girls, all clad in bikinis. Marluxia stands above him, also wearing a bikini with a towel wrapped around her bottom half exposing some of her thigh, with her usual stoic expression, holding a tray of glasses and a bottle of liquor.

"Axel?!"

Axel smirks, taking a sip from his drink. "WHAT'S UP, HOMEBOY?"

"What the hell is all of— _this?!_ "

"WHAT? YOU HAVE TO TAKE ONE HELL OF A SHIT? T.M.I, BRO. THE BATHROOM IS THE SECOND DOOR OVER ON THE LEFT."

"No, I said what the hell is all of _this?!"_

"WHAT?! DUDE, I CAN'T HEAR YOU. MUSIC'S TOO LOUD! HEY, MARLY, FETCH THIS MAN A FEW SHOTS OF TEQUILA, WILL YOU?"

"No, I-I don't want...!" Riku groans. He marches up to Axel and crouches just to get closer to his ear. "I said, what the hell is all of this?!"

"Oh, why didn't you just say that in the first place? What's it look like, man? I thought I'd throw a party just to celebrate the new school year. Pretty dope, huh?"

"No, not dope—stupid! You're gonna get us in trouble!"

"Ahh, come on, rookie, don't be such a little puss ass! For starters, I had some pretty strong acoustics installed so that all of the noise stays in the room! And the staff act like they're all strict about parties or no one from the opposite sex being in the same dorms, but they rarely check up on us. They just say that to scare ya!"

"Dude," Riku whines. "Are you _trying_ to get us expelled on the first week of school?!"

"Hey, relax. There's nothing to worry about! Loosen up a little! Have a drink! Find a girl and get laid! Shouldn't be too hard for you, Mr. Biceps!"

"This is so messed up..."

"Your drink, sir." Marluxia hands Riku a shot of tequila Axel ordered her to get earlier.

"No, no, I'm fine. I'm not thirsty."

Fifteen. Minutes. Later...

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOO HOOO!" Riku swings his shirt in the air while he gallops on the pool table, surrounded by two other dancing girls in bikinis. He's being cheered on by his fellow peers. "Oh yeah, babe, it's the road to dawn alright, the road to dawn all night on this dick!"

 **Room #120 E-F, Floor 5**

"You mean, you actually _dated_ Axel?" Kairi asks.

Kairi can't tell you how relieved she is in knowing she'll be sharing a room with Xion. The two have been hitting it off quite well the whole day, and since Xion talks so much, Kairi never has to worry about putting forth any potentially unwelcomed input. She can simply listen to Xion ramble on while she only asks the occasional question every so often, which Kairi doesn't mind in the slightest. She's just happy to have someone else to talk to.

The two currently wait inside of an escalating elevator, with the fifth floor pressed. Through the glass, they can see the lobby below.

"I know, right?" Xion agrees. "And it actually wasn't all that long ago either. Axel's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. And a couple months ago, I don't know, we just kinda decided to take the next step."

"Must've been an interesting relationship."

Xion chuckles. "That's one way of putting it." With a ding, the elevator doors open and the pair step out to proceed down the lengthy hallway. "We make a great team as friends, but it was pretty clear that we don't make a healthy couple. Despite it, we stayed friends."

Kairi holds onto her books as she looks ahead. "Axel hasn't really struck me as the relationship type."

"Oh, he's not." She laughs. "That's why it didn't work out. It was one of those on-off things. We're both not each other's type as far as who we'd want to be in a relationship with. I still love him to death, even if he is a headache with obnoxious red hair." She pauses. "Uhh, no offense."

"It's cool."

"We had fun though, we were just incompatible. Oh well." Xion shrugs. "The sex was great, though. Oh my god."

Kairi gulps, her face turning a bright shade of red. "O-Oh, is that so?"

"You kidding? Boy oh boy! Half of the time I think we got back together just for the intense makeup sex. I can complain about Axel all day, but he's got some talent. I guess you could say he's good for a fantastic... _screw job_! Ha ha, get it?"

"Eh, yeah." Sex has always been a topic that made Kairi uncomfortable. Especially after her mother tried to explain it to her in the least awkward possible way that should could when she stumbled into her parent's room one night. It was the night when she was scarred for life.

Xion clears her throat, realizing she's making the poor girl uncomfortable. "Anyway, that didn't work out, so we're sticking to being just friends. I'm not really on the prowl for a relationship right now. That boy Roxas sure is a cute one, though, huh?"

"Yeah, he's not bad."

"Honesty, as far as cute boys go, I haven't been disappointed by anything I've seen so far," Xion says just as a pair of two guys walk past them, one with a tight-fitting tank top and the other being completely shirtless to show off his incredibly chopped up abs. They both offer the girls a smile as they pass. "See? Me likey! I wonder if they let you in this school based on your looks..."

Kairi chuckles nervously. "If that were the case, I'm not sure I'd be here."

"Aw, don't start with me now." She grabs Kairi by the cheek and shakes it as if she's her grandmother. "You're adorable! Oh, you're a little cutie patootie, that's what you are!"

Kairi rubs the slight pain in her cheek away. The fact that Xion is about an inch or two taller than her doesn't help with the added fact that she treats her like a kid sometimes. "Gee, thanks..."

"You remind me of that Roxas kid. It's like you guys are trying to hide your true selves from the rest of us. Do me a favor and snap out of it, will you? Trust me. I've been down that road before too, and you'll be better off."

Kairi mulls over her words intently. If only it were so simple.

"Here we are!" Xion says as they step in front of their door. "I'll do the honors." She performs the same procedure as Roxas did earlier and the door clicks to indicate it's unlocked. "Voila!"

Xion pushes it open and the two enter inside to find a big window in the middle of two twin beds, and above it is a mounted TV.

"Ooooohh!" Xion rushes in and chucks her duffle bag over to the bed on the left side of the room and pushes the window open, taking in the breath of the cool night air while placing her hands on the ledge. "Nice view!"

She can see the beach backyard that students are allowed to hang out at on the weekends and the sea with a never-ending horizon. "Holy Chocobo, Batman! Is that a volleyball net I see? Oh ho, yeah!" She zips over to another door. "Oh my god, we have our own private bathroom?! Look we even have a shower with a door and everything!"

Kairi, satisfied with her new dorm, sets her things on the opposite right bed from Xion's bag.

Xion twirls out of the bathroom like a princess. "I love it! I love it! I love it!"

"It is pretty nice, isn't it?" Kairi asks with a smile.

"Nice? More like, awesome! The rooms back at Twilight Acad were nothing compared to this. You go on ahead and unpack, girl! I'll be in the bathroom!"

Kairi raises an eyebrow. Dare she ask? "Doing what?"

"I dunno, messin' with stuff!"

Internally hoping that Xion doesn't destroy their new bathroom, Kairi unzips her bag and begins setting aside all of her belongings. She takes a closer look at her bed and for the first time she realizes, wow, she's pretty far away from home, isn't she?

For the first time, Kairi is on her own. No Mommy or Daddy to hold her hand anymore, this is the real deal. Sure, it's not like she has to handle any adult responsibilities but still, nine whole months without her parents. Kairi just hopes she can handle it.

Xion runs out of the bathroom excitedly. "Kairi, look! They even have pamphlets and cards telling you information about all of the nasty stuff that comes out of our bodies! I guess with all these cards you can call them... the _poop deck!_ Bwahahahaha!"

Kairi smiles.

But then again, maybe it won't be so bad.

* * *

 **AN: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter!**

 **Another somewhat uneventful chapter, but I hope the content made it entertaining enough despite that. I promise next chapter will have a lot more going on in it!**

 **Also, shoutout to BlissfulNightRain, totally go check out my girl's fic Toxic! I'm really enjoying it so far and it's sooo relatable the way she writes it! It's really good! Give it a chance, please! Also, 72 by Sinful Serenata is awesome too! It's got a really unique premise that I don't really want to spoil, but I'm probably going to have to to get you guys to actually go check it out, so I'm just gonna say if you like the movie 'Ghost' with Patrick Swayze, you'll like her story too!**

 **I hate to advertise a bunch of stuff in my AN lol but those are my besties on this site, so I figure, why not?**

 **I wish I had more neat behind-the-scenes stuff to say about this chapter but I really don't for this one. I just wrote it and had fun doing it. But I think it's somewhat clear I was inspired by the show 'RWBY' with this one and also elements from the KH series itself.**

 **Pleeeeeassee if you could so kindly leave a review, that would make my day and fill me with joy and happiness! It would be so very much appreciated!**

 **Which reminds me, I forgot to thank all the people who left reviews in the last chapter so huge thanks to BlissfulNightRain, Is Og Id, Sailor Weiss, readingchameleon, Mickey12315, Theysharethesamesky, Samantha Peace HeartStar, and both The Fool's Arcana and Sinful Serenata for going out of their way to send reviews through PMs.**

 **Thanks for reading! I seriously hope you got some enjoyment out of it!**

 **#bananasquad**


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